Easier By Three
by Faith Alana Alastair
Summary: Daria/Jane/Lindy eventually, This is set after the final Daria Episode/Movie, "Is It College, Yet?".
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria sipped her coffee and grimaced. "How long have I really been sitting here?" She looked at the clock by her bed. "Five A.M. Guess I should get ready for the day."

She stood up, careful not to wake her sleeping roommate and gathered her things. Moving to the door, she turned the knob and jumped back, seeing Jane standing just outside her threshold, arm poised as if to knock. "Sorry I woke you."

"You didn't. I've been up all night writing a paper." She shouldered her bag and closed the door behind her. "You?"

"I just finished a sculpture of post-modern existentialism." She shrugged, hands in the pocket of her hoodie, falling into step with Daria almost out of habit.

"You sculpted the college experience in Play-Doh. If Lawndale High's faculty could see us now." She cracked a small smile and leaned over, bumping against Jane just a bit. "I'm pretty sure at least a couple of them would be proud."

Jane grinned. "They would, wouldn't they? So, breakfast? I'll buy you some pancakes."

Shrugging, Daria nodded. "Sounds great. I could use some coffee that's not ice cold." She walked outside, grimacing a bit at the chilly early-morning air. "I spoke to Tom last night. That's why I was up all night. I started late."

"Oh yeah? How is the smug snob? They teaching him how to drink tea with his pinky up?" She smirked to let Daria know she was kidding.

"He's fine. He called to ask my opinion on Kafka. We ended up rehashing things again. By which I mean, he asked me again was I certain, told me numerous times he could drive up to see me this weekend, and sighed heavily when I assured him I felt this was the best decision. We've only been here for a month, and I already feel like nothing's changed." She sighed, shifting her bag on her shoulder and pushing the door open to the café.

"Sounds like fun. And here I come with an insensitive request of your presence this weekend myself. How thoughtless." Jane slid into a booth opposite Daria.

"Coffee, please," Daria said to the waitress, then turned back to Jane. "I'd much rather spend the weekend with you than listen to Tom try to convince me to see things his way. What's the occasion?"

"Trent's bringing me a bag of art supplies I left at home. Plus, he thinks he'll pick up an artist chick to help him forget Monique. Again." She smiled gratefully as the waitress set down two mugs. "A stack of buttermilk pancakes, please. With extra butter and syrup."

Daria nodded. "Sounds good. With regular syrup, please." She turned to Jane, an eyebrow raised. "I'm not in the market for diabetes just yet, I thought I'd save that for Sophomore year."

"Good choice. Summer didn't go for it until she was pregnant. I think cutting off the flow of sugar and alcohol in the prime of your college experience is a much better option. Anyhow, Jesse got Mystic Spiral a gig at the coffee shop just outside the art school. It could be fun. And you could stay with me, get away from your roommate for the weekend."

"Sure, why not. I have to bring my laptop with me, though. I have a paper due on Monday." She sipped her coffee, and sighed. "Jane, I have a problem."

"Don't you always? I thought that's what the whole point was."

"What?"

"Never mind. Go on, spill. Your best friend awaits, ears open." She chuckled, and sipped her own coffee.

"I really kind of want Tom to go away. For awhile. I want to be friends with him, but... that's proving to be much harder in practice than in theory. He calls me every couple of days, constantly drops hints or mentions outright how close he is, and it's sort of becoming... well, maddening. I just need some space, but I'm kind of afraid he'll do that thing he always does where his pride gets wounded and he turns the entire conversation around on me. We're not even still together... but somehow he always acts like it, and manages to make me wonder just how I'm still in this mess." She sighed again, staring into her coffee.

"Have you tried a restraining order?" Jane asked, about to grin, but checked herself when Daria's eyes narrowed. "A joke, a joke. Look, sometimes people just aren't meant to be friends after dating."

"I know that, and if we weren't friends, I probably wouldn't be this bothered. But he wanted to stay friends, and now..."

Jane interrupted Daria. "And now you're wondering why. It's obvious, Daria. The only reason guys ever want to truly stay friends, is..."

"Don't even say it," she responded, cutting Jane off. "It's not like it ever happened before, there's no reason to assume it would now."

"I didn't really mean that, I was going to say, 'to get back together', but now that you mention it, maybe he's hoping the freedom of the college experience would... change your mind."

"Loosen me up, you mean. I hate boys." She accepted her plate with a small, "thank you," and picked up her fork.

"Well, if you're serious, there's this girl I could introduce you to..."

Daria stared at Jane. "What?"

Jane shrugged, pouring syrup on her pancakes. "I'm just saying, people experiment in college, explore new possibilities, widen their view on their own identity. If that's what you're doing, I support you completely."

Daria sat silent for a moment, her mind reeling with different courses of thought. She briefly reveled in the fact that she was sitting with the one person on Earth who wouldn't automatically construe her silence for acceptance or denial. "I suppose it wouldn't be so terrible to consider the idea... in theory of course."

Jane shrugged. "Not at all. Let it sink in, marinate for a bit in your mind. And if you find that the image doesn't fill you with a lustful passion, then you can move on." She took a bite and smiled.

Daria smiled back. "You're a good friend."


	2. Chapter 2

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

All week, Daria found it hard to focus. She kept coming back to Jane's words at the café on Monday. "I suppose it wouldn't be that odd," she thought to herself in Journalism.

In History, she thought, "But why would she even bring it up like that?"

Finally on Wednesday she couldn't take it anymore. She drove over to Jane's campus, and parked outside her dorm building. "She'll explain herself, she always does."

Sighing, she got out of her SUV and headed into the building. She walked upstairs, and over to Jane's room. Knocking, the door swung open, not having been closed properly to begin with, to reveal Jane and her roommate Natasha kissing passionately against an easel.

"Whoa!" Daria said, startled.

Jane looked up, then pulled away. "Daria!"

Daria blinked. "Jane. Natasha. I didn't mean to interrupt, I can come back later."

Natasha smiled at Jane and headed into the bathroom, Jane shook her head. "Nah, c'mon in. We were just…"

"Kissing. Unless painting looks like that now, I know I'm out of the loop and all." She smirked and sat on Jane's bed.

Jane exhaled, sitting next to Daria. "Remember my pledge about moving day at 11am? Well, turns out I kind of liked it. Guess Allison was right." Jane shrugged a bit.

"Who's Allison?"

Jane laughed. "A ridiculous situation. I'll tell you about it later. So what's up?"

Daria shrugged and waved as Natasha walked through, waving on her way out. "I'd been thinking about what you said over breakfast the other day, and I came over to find out why that was your automatic response. Guess I have my answer now."

Jane searched Daria's face, deciding she didn't seem angry or annoyed. "This isn't why. I was honestly just trying to help. You said you hate boys. I pointed out that there are girls, too. It's pretty face value."

Daria nodded. "I never really knew what to feel about kissing Tom. It felt nice, but there was nothing really… out of the ordinary about the way it made me feel. That's also part of why I wouldn't sleep with him."

Jane nodded, standing up to make coffee. "And now you're wondering if it was only 'nice' and with a chick it would be more than 'nice'?"

Daria sighed and nodded again. "Something like that. There's also a part of me that feels like I should be saying 'I like guys' and stuff, but I feel more upset that I'm not upset that I'm not saying it." She lay back on the bed, groaning. "Did any of that even make sense?"

Jane grinned, walking over with two mugs. "Perfect sense. You think you should subscribe to the societal concept of heterosexuality. You don't, but instead of feeling strange about it, those same societal pressures have conditioned you to wonder why you're not. You're normal, Daria."

"Who says I don't?"

"What?"

Daria took a sip of her coffee. "Who says I don't subscribe? I get weekday issues and the Sunday edition." She looked down at her mug. "Don't I?"

Jane sighed. "No one does, Daria. Unless it's your sister." She shivered, thinking about it, then returned to her train of thought. "We're all different, and there's no good or bad."

Daria thought about that for a minute. "What's it like?"

"Kissing girls? For me, pretty much the same as kissing guys." Jane shrugged. "I've kind of figured out that it doesn't really matter what's between their legs, as long as I like what's between their ears."

Daria chewed her lip and nodded. "That's a pretty good way to look at it."

"Tell me about it."

"So who's Allison?"

Jane laughed. "Remember the art retreat I went on last summer? Well Allison tried to get in my pants. Unsuccessfully, I might add. Then she ran off with that full-of-himself-hack I told you about, Daniel. The punch line? She's a student here. Right now. I ran into her a couple of days ago and she told me she'd thought a lot about what I'd said. I don't believe a word of her crap."

Daria nodded. "She sounds like a real head case."

Jane nodded, grinning. "You don't know the half of it. It's too bad, because she's hot."

Daria tilted her head to the side slightly, thinking about something. "Physical attraction."

"Excuse me? You're doing that word association thing again, aren't you? I said hot…"

"No. It's something I really didn't take into consideration at all. In hindsight I was attracted to Tom with my brain, but..."

"Your loins are a different matter?"

Daria narrowed her eyes at Jane. "Don't start thinking about my loins." She tapped her chin and lower lip with a finger. "I don't know what it feels like to be physically attracted to someone."

Jane smirked. "Yes you do. His name is Trent Lane."

Daria actually blushed. "Oh, I didn't think about that."

"So hold on to that realization. Swing it around and see if it matches anything else." Jane shrugged, crossing her legs and gulping the rest of her coffee.

Daria thought for a minute, and her eyes widened. "Oh, um… I should go."

Jane looked up at her, confused. "Go? Really?" She stood up clumsily as Daria stood up and headed for the door.

"Yeah, I have to finish my paper."

Jane chewed her lip, closing the distance. "Daria."

Daria turned, a hand on the doorknob and Jane leaned down and kissed her, lips closing softly over Daria's own.

Jane pulled back, cheeks crimson. "Now you can compare," she said softly, possibly even a bit sadly and turned. "I'll see you Saturday."

Daria stood frozen, a hand on her lips, then nodded. "Right." She turned the knob and headed out and down to her car, not daring to think about what had just happened until she was safely in her dorm parking lot.

Once she allowed herself to peel back the haze on the memory and look at it, she realized how uncomfortable she was feeling. "How could I be into Jane?"


	3. Chapter 3

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Saturday morning Daria packed an overnight bag and her laptop and headed over to Jane's. Heading upstairs, she knocked on the door.

Natasha opened the door. "Hey, Daria." She was carrying a portfolio, and had her keys in her hand. "Jane's sleeping. I'm heading out, I'll see you later." She smiled, walking past her and Daria stepped into the room.

"Hi Natasha. Thanks. Oh, where are you going? Alright, I'll see you later." She droned on, amusing herself.

Jane opened a sleepy eye. "Talking to yourself again, Morgendorffer? I seem to remember you doing that a lot in high school. Wasn't pretty."

"Kiss my ass, Lane." She smirked, throwing a t-shirt at Jane's head.

Jane sat up, pulling it over her head and yawned. "You're early. I wasn't expecting you till Saturday."

"It is Saturday." Daria dropped onto Jane's bed, scooting back to rest her back against the wall.

"That explains it." She yawned again and stood up, heading for the bathroom. "I'm gonna shower. Want to make some coffee?"

Daria nodded, standing up. "Sure, I can do that."

Half an hour later, Daria and Jane sat with their coffee. "So I was thinking," Daria began. "I think I'm going to give this all some serious research."

"Yeah? Okay, how can I be of assistance, Dr. Frahnk-en-shteen?" Jane smirked, sipping her coffee.

"Well, um, you said you had a friend?" Daria managed to mumble.

Jane's eyes widened. "Daria! Sure, I'll call her right now." She reached for the phone, but Daria stopped her. "Wait. I, um…"

Jane smiled. "Daria, it's a date. Maybe a goodnight kiss. You've done that before."

Daria nodded, mind spinning. "But not with a girl. Okay, call." She took a deep breath, trying to relax.

Jane dialed and spoke into the phone after a few moments. "Hey. Yeah. Listen, remember what you and I had talked about the other day? Yeah, well what about tonight? My best friend. Her name's Daria. She's really cool. I think you guys would get along really well. Mystic Spiral's playing at the Ground. Awesome. Great. Bye."

Jane smiled, but Daria had an eyebrow raised. "Want to let me in on the other end of the conversation?"

Jane nodded. "Her name's Lindy. She's a freshman like me. She'd gone to State, but something happened and she decided to refocus. She's amazing with glass and ceramic mosaic. She's really intelligent… and her favorite book is 1984. I had a similar conversation with her, and told her if I heard of anyone looking, I'd let her know."

Daria nodded throughout Jane's explanation, lips quirking into a smile when she mentioned Orwell. "Alright, so she's coming to the show?"

Jane nodded. "She's working this afternoon, she said she'd try to be there before 8." She reached out, rubbing her friend's arm. "This could be cool."

Daria nodded, mind lost. "Yeah."


	4. Chapter 4

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria stepped out of the bathroom, waving her glasses around to de-fog them. "Your bathroom needs some ventilation."

"No kidding. I once walked in after Natasha had showered to discover three old men in towels playing pinochle."

She laughed and replaced them on her face, pulling at her t-shirt, stuck to her body from steam. "Ugh, I can't go meet someone looking like this." She pulled it off and dug through her bag, pulling out another one and slipping it on.

Jane swallowed and turned away. "You mean you're worried about how you'll look? I thought we decided this years ago."

Daria smirked. "And we also decided that I am just as vain as everybody else, and that doesn't make me any less me."

"Fair enough." Jane grinned and finished tying her boots. "Ready to go? Trent should be at the coffee shop by now."

Daria nodded and picked up her bag, following Jane out. They walked down the street, arriving as Jesse and Max were unloading the Tank.

"Hey guys," Jane said, raising a hand in greeting. "Where's Trent?"

"Inside," Jesse said. "He has a bag for you."

"Thanks." Jane opened the door and stepped through, Daria following. She spotted Trent over by the small stage, and walked over. "Hey there, oh brother of mine." She grinned, hugging him.

"Hey, Janey. Hi, Daria," Trent said, hugging Jane back and turning to hug Daria.

"Hi, Trent," Daria said, smiling.

"I brought your art supplies, Janey." Trent held out a knapsack. "They were under the bed where you thought."

Jane looked into the bag and grimaced. "Trent, these are dirty clothes. I said they were on top of the dresser."

"Oh yeah. Sorry."

Daria laughed as Jane held her hand over her face, sighing. "Whatever. I'll ask Dad to bring them up on his way to Maine next week."

"Maine?" Trent looked confused.

"Something about him filming the migratory patterns of lobster. Who even knows anymore." Jane laughed and brightened further. "Be right back." She grabbed Daria's arm and moved over to the bar. "Lindy!"

Daria paled slightly, realizing there was no time to back out now. She pushed a small spark of fear down, instead focusing on the girl in front of her. Tall and blonde, she reminded her a bit of her sister at first, but this girl seemed a bit less shallow.

"Daria, this is Lindy. Lindy, this is Daria."

Lindy smiled, and stuck out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Daria."

Daria returned the handshake, attempting a smile. "You too, Lindy."

Jane looked at the two of them and sighed. "Anyone want a drink? A soda," she amended, sliding a glance at Lindy.

"A Coke?" Lindy asked, nodding her agreement.

Daria nodded. "Works for me."

Jane wandered off and Lindy shrugged a bit. "I don't drink," she said quietly.

Daria nodded. "Neither do I." She smiled a bit. "Jane said you were a fan of George Orwell?"

Lindy nodded, smiling. "Dystopian fiction is my favorite on the whole, but Orwell… He just sums it up so perfectly, you know?"

Daria nodded and smiled brighter. "I do, actually. I love Orwell. I read Animal Farm when I was eight, it was one of my favorites."

Lindy jerked her head toward a table. "Want to sit down?"

"Sure." Daria walked over with her, sliding into a booth.

Lindy slid in opposite her. "Do you like film, too? Metropolis is playing here next week." She smiled, leaning back against the seat.

Daria smiled. "I really do. I thought about writing screenplays, but I prefer prose."

"You're a writer?" Lindy asked, grinning. "Would you like to go with me? No pressure."

Daria found herself nodding. "Sure, I'd like to. It sounds like fun. And yeah, I've been writing for as long as I can remember."

"That's awesome. I really admire that kind of creativity. I'm still trying to find mine." Lindy smiled as Jane appeared. "Hey, Jane."

Jane set down two glasses. "Looks like my job here is done." She smirked a bit.

Daria smiled a bit at Jane. "You don't have to leave."

"But you'd appreciate it if I did." Jane winked and laughed, wandering away again.

Lindy laughed. "Jane's been a good friend to me, even if it's only been a month."

Daria nodded. "She has a way of finding people. She was the only one who talked to me when I moved to Lawndale."

"I can't imagine why no one would talk to you. You're smart, funny, pretty…" Lindy shrugged.

Daria paused, her straw halfway to her lips, then recovered, blushing. "Thanks," she mumbled.

Lindy smirked a bit, amused. "Not used to people calling you funny?" She reached over and patted Daria's hand, then pulled back again.

"Something like that." She sipped her soda again, then said softly, "You're funny too."

Lindy caught Daria's meaning and beamed. "Thanks."

Daria sat quietly for a moment, then took a breath. "Look, I'm not certain what I'm even doing. I'm not sure what Jane told you, but I'm…"

Lindy held up a hand to stop her. "Relax. I'm not any less confused than you are. What Jane told me was that she wanted me to meet her friend Daria. And as it appears, what you're doing is having a soda with a girl you met, getting to know her. Do I have all the facts straight?"

Daria chuckled, nodding. "Yes ma'am. All the facts."

"So relax. If neither of us were confused, I'd still have the same opinion of you." Lindy sipped her own soda, and crossed her legs under the table.

Taking that in, Daria nodded. "Okay."

She was saved from saying anything further by Trent's voice ringing out of the PA system. "We're Mystic Spiral, but we're thinking of changing our name. Anyway, this is "My Ice Cube Is On Fire."

Lindy craned her neck to see, and failed. "Mind if I move over there?"

Daria shook her head, moving over for her. "Nope." She began to relax as she listened to the music. "Wow, they've gotten better."

Lindy nodded in time to the music, and after a few minutes, lay her hand on Daria's, turning to her with a question in her eyes.

Daria froze for a moment, unsure, then caught Lindy's eyes, and nodded, turning her own over to lace her fingers with Lindy's. She turned her attention back to the band, and chewed her lip, mind racing.

The set ended, and Trent and Jane came over, sliding into the booth opposite them. "Hey guys," Trent said, and coughed."

"You guys have gotten better," Daria said. "I liked that song."

Jane raised an eyebrow at Daria questioningly, and nodded. "It was great."

Daria caught her eye and blushed, nodding almost imperceptibly. Lindy smiled inwardly and let go of Daria's hand, sliding out. "I'll be back, gonna use the restroom before it gets super gross."

Daria looked down at her hand, then up at Jane, then back down. "She's really nice."

Trent reached over and rubbed Daria's arm. "She's pretty, too. And she's into you."

Daria looked up at him, eyes panicked. "You know?"

Trent laughed, the sound turning to a cough. "It's no big deal, Daria. If you like her, you should go for it."

Jane nodded. "I told you she was cool. And Trent's right."

Daria nodded and mumbled, "She thinks I'm pretty."

Trent and Jane looked at each other, grinning. Jane beamed at Daria. "You have a crush."

Daria shrugged and nodded again. "Looks like it. But I don't know how to like a girl. All my adolescent programming was for boys."

Trent shrugged. "It's the same, but you pay more often." He laughed again. "I once dated Jesse for two weeks before I sobered up and realized he wasn't a girl. Then he joined the Spiral."

Daria cocked her head at him. "Seriously?"

Jane laughed, nodding. "Yup. Trent brought him home and everything. I'll never forget walking into his room and seeing him and Jesse passed out, spooning. Of course, they do that now…" She looked over at her brother curiously.

"That's just because we're band mates. It happens." Trent shrugged.

Daria shook her head to clear it as Lindy came back. "Hey. Want to take a walk?"

Lindy smiled, surprised, but nodded. "Sure."

Daria slid out and stood, walking out with her toward the door as Jane and Trent grinned.


	5. Chapter 5

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Tuesday afternoon, Daria got a text message from Lindy. "Hey, just saying hi."

Daria smiled to herself and returned the message. "Hi. :)"

A few minutes later, she got a response. "You busy? I have to run downtown and buy some tile, thought about coffee?"

Daria chewed her lip, thinking for a moment before responding. "Sure, 20 mins?"

Lindy's response came quickly. "Perfect."

Daria headed upstairs, dropping her bag and digging through her drawers. Her roommate, Tina, looked up from her book. "You look like you have a date."

Daria looked over, brow furrowed. "I sort of do."

Tina grinned. "Yeah? What's his name?"

Daria blushed. "Lindy."

Tina nodded. "Oh, a girl. Figures." She went back to her book, shrugging.

Daria looked at her. "What does that mean?" She pulled a shirt on and straightened her skirt.

"Just that 'I'm roommates with one of those girls'. Y'know, that likes girls."

Daria blinked. "Would that be a problem?"

Tina shrugged. "Just don't be creepy, okay?"

Daria narrowed her eyes and turned, walking out. "Whatever."

She walked down the street, turning into the café, and spotted Lindy in the back. She sat down at the table. "Hey."

Lindy looked over. "You okay?"

Daria nodded. "My roommate thinks I'm one of "those girls". Then she told me not to be creepy. Because when you're one of those girls who likes other girls, apparently you perv on your roommate."

Lindy lay a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. That sucks."

Daria nodded and sighed, relaxing at the touch. "It's fine. I just didn't expect to deal with adversity quite so early in the game." She found herself leaning into Lindy's hand.

Lindy smiled. "At least you have Jane. You know she'll never judge you."

Daria smiled. "Yeah, she's pretty great." She looked up, ordering coffee and a piece of cheesecake. "I think this day deserves high amounts of sugar. Want to share?"

"Sure. Cheesecake's always better with someone else to share with." She let her hand stay on Daria's shoulder. "So how'd your paper go?"

"I haven't gotten it back, but I'm fairly certain it'll be well-received. I chose to focus on women in workhouses. I wasn't given a specific time period, so I pretended I was a suffragist, and wrote an article about women as chattel."

Lindy grinned. "That sounds awesome! Do you still have it?"

Daria nodded. "Yeah, it's on my computer. Would you want to read it?"

Lindy nodded. "I'd really love to. I was minoring in Women's Studies at Lawndale State, before I transferred here."

"That's awesome. I wish Raft had a Women's Studies minor. It would be fun."

The waitress brought their coffee and the plate of cheesecake, and turned, running off to someone's call. "Oh, one fork." Lindy said simply.

Daria shrugged. "I don't mind sharing." She smiled a bit, and sweetened her coffee.

Lindy grinned. "Okay," she said, sipping her own. "You first, you ordered it."

Daria nodded and laughed, taking a small bite and sipping her coffee. "It's not bad. There's a place in Lawndale that makes really good cheesecake. Or at least they buy it from someplace that does."

"Oh yeah? Where?" Lindy took a bite, nodding. "You're right, not bad."

"It's called Governor's Park. My sister worked there last year for awhile, and she brought some home one night."

Lindy's eyes widened. "I worked there too. What's your sister's name?"

Daria looked at her. "Quinn Morgendorffer."

Lindy paled. "I… I remember Quinn. I really liked her."

Daria looked at her strangely. "Are you alright?"

Lindy nodded, taking a deep breath. "I… I had sort of a drinking problem. Quinn saw me at my worst. That's why I stopped talking to her, and why I transferred… well, I didn't so much transfer as got kicked out."

Daria nodded, eyebrow raised a little. "I remember Quinn telling me. Vaguely. She was asking my advice on what to do…"

Lindy nodded sadly. "That's when I ended the friendship. When she confronted me. But I'm in recovery now…"

Daria nodded. "That's very admirable. I'm proud of you for taking control of your problem, and happy for you that you're back on track." She smiled, laying her hand on Lindy's knee. "I just have one question for you."

Lindy nodded, smiling at Daria's hand. "Shoot."

"You were friends with my sister, and you still like me?"

Lindy took her hand off Daria's shoulder and instead lay it over hers. "One has nothing to do with the other. You're sister's sweet, and pretty smart. But she's shallow, too, and I like people with… depth."

Daria smiled, taking another bite of cheesecake. "Y'know, I've known you four days and you've complimented me more that the ex-boyfriend I dated for a year."

"Sounds like he didn't appreciate you." She sipped her coffee, and looked at her for a moment.

"I had that same thought many times. I just figured it was me." She looked back at her, holding her gaze.

"No, I don't think it's you. I think you're definitely worthy of appreciation." Lindy smiled, and squeezed her hand briefly, pulling it away to take a bite of cheesecake.

"Thank you. You're pretty cool yourself." Daria smiled and shivered as the door opened. "It's damn cold up here. And I thought Pennsylvania was cold. And it looks like it's started… snowing?"

Lindy looked up, panicked. "Oh, no!" She sighed, slumping in her seat. "I walked here from campus. I'm gonna be an icicle by the time I get home."

Daria shrugged. "No big deal, I'll take you back. My car's up the street by my dorm." She smiled, rubbing Lindy's thigh where her hand rested on it.

Lindy smiled. "Thanks, Daria." She leaned over, kissing her cheek. "My hero."

Daria blushed and mumbled something. "We should go, though. The road up there gets closed when it's bad. Or so the orientation people told me." She reached into her bag for her wallet and Lindy reached over, laying a hand on hers. "Let me. I asked."

Daria smiled. "Okay. Then let me pay for Metropolis."

Lindy nodded. "Deal." She stood up, walking over to the counter to pay, and coming back a few minutes later, gathering her shopping bags.

Daria stood up, zipping her coat and shouldering her bag. "All set?"

Lindy nodded, following her out. "Does it bother you that I was friends with Quinn? I really wanted to stay friends with her, but I was angry and embarrassed, after she told me I should get help."

Daria shrugged. "There's a lot more depth to Quinn than I think she realizes. But no, it doesn't bother me. If you'd dated her it probably would…"

Lindy laughed. "She's way too young. Chronologically and emotionally. Besides, I think she's firmly into men."

Daria laughed also, nodding. "Yeah, she's cornered the market in Lawndale." She stopped at her car, unlocking the door so Lindy could get in. Getting in the other side, Daria fastened her seat belt. "How come you walked all the way down here?"

Lindy swallowed. "My license is suspended till the end of November."

Daria nodded in understanding. "Oh, okay. Lindy, are you concerned that I would judge you for your past?" She pulled out of the parking spot, and onto the road.

"Not concerned so much as nervous. It's a pretty big deal in my mind, even admitting I'm an… alcoholic. I don't really think you'd judge me, but it doesn't stop me from being scared of the rejection."

"That makes sense." Daria reached over and took Lindy's hand. "But you can stop being scared. I really do think it takes a lot of courage to admit to something like that, and seek help and recovery. I support you completely."

Lindy smiled, squeezing her hand. "Thanks, Daria."

"You're welcome, Lindy." She slowed to a stop as a police officer stood in the road surrounded by flares. Opening her window, she looked out at him. "Let me guess, the road's closed."

The cop nodded. "Pegged it in one. Do you need assistance to turn around?"

Daria looked at the road and shook her head. "No, I've got it. Thank you." She rolled up her window and turned around. "Do you want to stay with me tonight? Tina's probably at her boyfriend's after our little discussion."

Lindy nodded. "That'd be great, thanks. I promise I don't snore."

Daria laughed. "It's fine." She drove back to the dorm and parked, taking Lindy's hand as they walked into the building. "Déjà vu."

Lindy laughed and nodded. "Same shit, different dorm."

Daria grinned, and signed Lindy in as an overnight guest. "You guys are a lot more relaxed up there. We have all kinds of regulations, it's sort of ridiculous."

"State had them too. I moved into off-campus housing as soon as I could." She squeezed Daria's hand as they stepped into the elevator.

"There's an idea. I wonder if Jane would be into splitting a place between the two colleges."

"It's certainly something for you guys to think about. Be careful, though, living with people can destroy friendships."

Daria nodded. "Tell me about it. My dad burned down our kitchen once, and we had to live in a hotel for a week. My sister invited the Fashion Club to our room, so I went to Jane's. The week wasn't easy, but we survived it." She turned her key in her door and swung it open to find the room mercifully empty. "Welcome to my hell away from hell."

Lindy smiled, walking in behind her. "It's smaller than ours. But it's nice," she said, slipping her hand free to rest it on Daria's shoulder.

Daria dropped her bag on her bed and picked up a sheet of paper, noticing for the first time that her roommate's side of the room was empty. "Moved in with my boyfriend to be normal. Now you can bring all the girls you want. T. Lovely." She crumpled the note, eyes narrowed.

Lindy chewed her lip, reaching for Daria, sliding her arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry."

Daria shook her head. "It's fine, just irritating. I don't think there's anything abnormal about this situation. I figured I'd left small-town ignorance behind when I moved out of Lawndale."

Lindy sat down, shaking her head and smiling sadly. "It never goes away. But at least now we can relax." Her smile turned a bit brighter as she opened her arms.

Daria smiled a bit, tossing the note behind her. "Just like high school. If they're not important, don't bother." She sat down, leaning in to kiss Lindy softly. "You're important. She's not."

Lindy smiled, yielding to the kiss, her arms circling Daria gently, holding her close. Her eyes closed and she sighed softly. Daria closed her own eyes and tentatively slid her tongue over Lindy's lips, requesting entrance. She was rewarded by a small gasp as Lindy parted her lips and slid her own tongue against Daria's.

Lindy tugged at Daria's arm, pulling her down to lie next to her and Daria obliged, stretching out, a hand slipping around Lindy's waist. Daria became increasingly aware of a new sensation settling much further down than her lips. Pulling back gently, Daria smiled. "I'll be right back, okay?"

Lindy nodded, smiling also. "I'm not going anywhere."

Daria walked into her bathroom, closing the door and splashing water on her face. She stared into the mirror, as if it could offer some assistance or comforting words. She exhaled, smiled briefly at her reflection, and turned, walking back into the room and sitting on the bed. "I'd like to talk about what's going on, if you don't mind."

Lindy sat up, nodding. "I have no objections. Do you want to start?" She crossed her legs and faced Daria.

Daria nodded, hands folded in her lap. "I'm really enjoying getting to know you, and the… kissing's pretty awesome, as well." She blushed a bit, and continued. "But before anything further happens, I'd like you to know that I'm a virgin, and likely to stay that way for at least a little while longer."

Lindy nodded, shrugging. "Okay. I appreciate you being honest with me, but I'm not looking to pressure you into anything, and I'm fine with waiting, or even it not happening at all. Lindy smiled, reaching out to stroke Daria's cheek.

Daria looked over at her slowly, eyes widening. "Seriously?"

Lindy chuckled and nodded. "That's the advantage of me being a girl, too. I get it." She reached for Daria's hand and played with her thumb. "I'm attracted to you, Daria, but there's so much more to… well, everything than just sex. Intimacy is so much more important."

Daria nodded. "What do you consider intimate?"

Lindy chewed her lip, thinking for a moment. "Well, kissing, for one. If all kisses were like the few you and I have shared… but they aren't. The ones we've had were extremely intimate, in my mind."

Pondering that for a moment, Daria nodded and blushed. "You're right. Kissing you has felt sort of… special."

Lindy smiled warmly. "I'm really glad. I feel that way too."

Daria smiled at her lap. "What else?" She watched Lindy play with her fingers.

"This. This right here, sitting alone, talking, sharing." She paused her fidgeting and looked up at Daria, catching her eye. "Sharing cheesecake. Holding hands on a romantic walk. If you're nervous or unsure about physical intimacy, I understand that. But you've got the emotional thing down pat. To be honest, you're one of the sweetest, most thoughtful, most romantic people I've ever been on a date with."

Daria blushed crimson. "I was just trying to treat you the way I always wished I was treated before. I know those little things matter, even when you try and tell yourself they don't."

Lindy nodded, smiling. "You're cute when you blush."

Daria turned redder, and ducked her head. "Stupid floors that won't swallow you."

Lindy chuckled, reaching out and tugging her closer. "I guess what I'm saying is, I respect your wishes, and your comfort and I'm not looking to push you into anything, but I'd really like to keep seeing you, and maybe keep kissing you, too."

Daria bit her lip as Lindy curled around her, and found herself enjoying the closeness, the _intimacy_ of the moment. She took a breath and exhaled, looking up at her, her arms sliding around Lindy's waist. "I'd like that too."

Daria woke up, looking around confused as she began to realize the phone was ringing. Sliding an arm free from Lindy's hold, she picked it up and pressed the answer button. "Someone better be dying."

Jane's voice sounded from the other end. "Is Lindy with you? Her roommate just woke me up, asking if I'd seen her. The roads are closed and Lindy went downtown yesterday."

Daria blinked, squinting to see the clock. "Jane, it's three in the morning. Yes, I met her for coffee and the roads were closed, so she stayed here. I'll call you when I wake up again." She hung up just as Jane said "She stayed the night?" and turned over.

Lindy smiled sleepily, eyes closed. "They're going to think something happened."

"Let them. It's no one's business but ours. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time." She slid her arm back under the blanket and around Lindy, closing her eyes and yawning.

Lindy snuggled against her, smiling. "G'nite, Daria."


	6. Chapter 7

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria woke up again to the smell of coffee and breakfast. "Mmm…" She stretched and opened her eyes a bit, seeing Lindy sitting in her desk chair, unpacking several boxes.

"Morning." Lindy said simply. "Hungry?"

Daria nodded, sitting up and putting her glasses on. "That smells really good."

"Eggs, bacon, pancakes and coffee. From the café on the corner."

Smiling, Daria stood up and headed for the bathroom, kissing the top of Lindy's head on the way through. "Thanks."

Lindy grinned and continued unpacking, spreading out a picnic of sorts on Tina's vacated bed.

Daria closed the door, rubbing sleep from her eyes and went about her business, mind reeling from the past twenty-four hours. As she brushed her teeth, she smiled inwardly. Making a decision, she finished up and walked back into the room.

Lindy looked up and smiled, handing her a steaming cup of coffee. "Sweet and dark, right?"

Daria accepted the cup gratefully and nodded, smiling. "Thanks." Sipping it, she found it exactly the way she liked it and sat on the bed, relaxing against the wall, her brain slowly clearing from the haze of sleep. "And thanks for dealing with my existentialist nonsense."

Laughing, Lindy rolled her eyes. "You're not exactly Kierkegaard." She handed Daria a plate and took a bite of bacon, thinking. "Besides, you're way more articulate than I am, and listening to you pick it apart and put it back together is helping me do the same in my head."

Daria nodded. "Okay." She looked over at the clock and shrugged. "Guess I missed Lit. Oh well."

Lindy's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, I totally ruined your schedule."

Daria smirked. "Don't even worry about it. It's my only class today, and we're discussing your favorite book. You'll just have to help me study to make up for it."

Lindy brightened, eyebrow raising at Daria's candor. "Sounds fair to me."

Eating a bit, and finishing her coffee, Daria stood and stretched. "Since my schedule is suddenly clear today, and you paid for breakfast, why don't we drive into town for awhile and let me take you to lunch?"

Lindy nodded. "I'd like that. Think we can jet up to my school, though? A shower and clean clothes sounds like an idea."

Daria grinned. "Shower here. I have stuff you can wear. I want to poke at the situation a bit more."

Lindy laughed. "You mean you want to let them think something happened last night. Alright, I'm in." She snagged her t-shirt as Daria passed, tugging her down to her lap. "But I demand compensation."

Daria leaned in, kissing her softly. "I think that's fair."

Driving up to BFAC, Daria smiled as she glanced down at hers and Lindy's joined hands, sitting on her own knee. "Today was fun."

Lindy nodded. "It was. I really enjoy spending time with you."

"I enjoy spending time with you doing things." Daria squeezed her hand. "My ex and I watched television. My house, his house, whatever."

Lindy nodded sadly. "Mine and I just went to parties. Tried to out-drink each other."

Daria nodded. "I'm not really one for drinking in general. My parents both drink a bit, my father more. But it was never something that really pulled me. Quinn drinks at parties, but never very much." She shrugged.

Lindy nodded. "She knew where her limits were, I remember. That's why she got through to me when no one else did."

Daria smiled, then sighed. "Damnit."

Lindy looked at her strangely as Daria pulled into the parking lot. "What's wrong?"

Daria stopped the car, turning to Lindy with a smirk. "Now I owe my sister a favor."

Lindy laughed hard, arms wrapping around her stomach. "Wow, it sucks to be you."

Daria raised an eyebrow, shutting the engine. "I don't know. I get reparations." She smirked again, getting out of the SUV and shutting the door. "Don't forget your tiles."

Lindy calmed a bit, whining. "Ow, my stomach hurts now." Sliding out of the car, she retrieved her bags from the back seat and followed Daria up the walk. "I should make you kiss it better."

Daria paused and looked at her, pondering. "Okay." She tugged Lindy to a stop on the sidewalk, dropping to a knee and leaning forward, kissing Lindy's abs. "Better?" she asked, standing. To her extreme satisfaction, Lindy was scarlet.

"Much," Lindy said with a quiet breath. She took Daria's hand and walked inside the building, heading upstairs. "That was unexpected," she said inside the elevator.

Daria shrugged a smile. "Maybe I have more in common with Kierkegaard than we thought." She stepped out of the elevator and paused, following Lindy to the left, where before she'd gone right, to Jane's room.

"Maybe so." Lindy opened the door to her room, stepping aside for Daria to enter. The room was laid out the same way as Jane's, Lindy's side of the room in shades of blue, a teddy bear on her bed. Daria walked over and sat down, picking up the bear and smiling. "He's cute."

"He's a she." Lindy smiled, sitting next to her and taking the bear. "Her name's Cosette."

"After Les Misérables?" Daria looked up.

Lindy nodded, smiling. "I was adopted, and my mother died when I was five. It's been me and my dad since, just like Cosette and Valjean."

Daria smiled. "That's kind of sweet." She reached over and took Lindy's hand, laying her head on her shoulder. "Does that make me Marius?"

Lindy laughed. "I hope not. I'd rather have Daria." She set the bear down in its place and stood up. "C'mon, let's go tell Jane all the sordid details that didn't happen."

Daria nodded and stood up, taking her hand. "After she squirms for a bit."

"Of course."

They walked down the hall to Jane's room and Daria knocked. Jane opened the door and grinned. "Hey you two."

Daria stepped inside, Lindy following her. "See? Safe and sound."

Jane smirked. "No worse for wear, it appears. You can tell me, Lindy. Is Daria a tiger?"

Lindy laughed. "Oh, she knows how to go for what she wants, if that's what you mean."

Jane's eyes widened. "Daria!"

Daria raised an eyebrow. "You know better, Lane. We've been through this before."

Jane sighed. "Nothing happened."

Lindy laughed. "I wouldn't say nothing, but Daria was a perfect gentle… woman?"

Daria laughed and reached over, rubbing Lindy's shoulder. "And so was Lindy. She doesn't even snore." Smirking, she took Lindy's hand and rubbed her thumb over the back.

Jane looked at the two of them thoughtfully. "Okay, so what _did _happen?" She sat down on Natasha's bed cross-legged, head in her hand.

Daria sighed. "Exactly what I told you on the phone. Lindy came downtown to go shopping, and we met for coffee."

Lindy nodded. "It started snowing, and Daria was going to drive me back, since I'd walked, but the road was closed."

"So you stayed the night. With Daria," Jane prompted.

Daria nodded. "Only I'd had an argument with Tina. She noticed that I was changing my clothes and tidying up and asked if I had a date. When I told her I did, she asked his name." She looked at Lindy and smiled a bit. "I told her Lindy."

Jane nodded. "What'd Tina say?"

Daria sighed. "She said she didn't realize I was one of _those _girls, and that I shouldn't be creepy."

Lindy squeezed her hand and continued. "When we got back to Daria's room, Tina had moved out and left a really condescending note. We talked a bit, kissed a bit, and then Daria loaned me some shorts and a t-shirt and we went to sleep."

Jane smiled. "You guys are too cute. Okay, well since you're here, Who's up for some pizza? I just ordered two pies."

Daria grinned. "You really _are_ a good friend."

Lindy lay on her bed and smiled up at the ceiling, an arm draped around Daria, who was curled against her, head on her shoulder. "Jane's super creative. So are you. I really liked your paper."

Daria smiled. "Thanks. I'm pretty proud of it."

"You should be." She kissed the top of Daria's head and hugged her a bit tighter for a moment. "I really wish I could find my own creativity, but all I seem to be good at is making tile mosaic picture frames."

Daria looked up at her. "There's nothing wrong with that. Someone once told me that everyone's good at something, that's your something."

Lindy smiled. "Who told you that?"

"Quinn."

"Really?"

Daria nodded. "She showed me that for all her shallowness, being popular in the way she is really isn't any less creative – just a different kind – than the things I do."

Lindy nodded, face thoughtful. "That's true." She sighed contentedly and let her hand trace idle patterns on Daria's upper arm. "I really like you, Daria."

Daria smiled, feeling a warmth spread over her. "I really like you too, Lindy." She stretched a bit, turning over in Lindy's embrace and kissed her, feeling the warmth spread further, encompassing her whole body.

Lindy smiled into the kiss, her arm holding Daria close, but gently. She softly ran her tongue along Daria's lips, breathing a small whimper as her lips parted. Daria rested a hand on Lindy's waist then found it travelling up, almost of its own accord.

Lindy sighed, arching into the touch, if only slightly. Feeling emboldened, Daria let her hand slide up Lindy's torso and underneath her, holding her closer, pressing against her.

Lindy broke the kiss and whispered, "I just want you to know," she began, eyes a darker shade of blue than usual, "that if you want to… do anything, explore, or whatever… it's okay."

Daria thought that over for a moment, processing. "Alright." She smiled shyly. "Thank you."

Lindy smiled, endeared. "You're very welcome."

Daria leaned in to kiss her again, then paused, taking her glasses off and setting them down on Lindy's nightstand. Turning back, she smiled down at her. "You're all fuzzy," she said, a trace of a giggle in her voice.

"And you're beautiful," Lindy whispered, taking in Daria's face. She reached up, tracing Daria's features with her fingertips.

Daria blushed a bit. "Thank you. So are you, when I'm wearing my glasses." She smiled, then said, "And also when I'm not." She leaned in again, kissing Lindy deeply, though still slowly. Feeling her respond to her kiss, Daria let her fingers trace idle patterns on Lindy's hipbone, just under her shirt.

Lindy wriggled just a bit, enjoying the touches. She wrapped her arm around Daria, hand sliding into her hair, nails lightly scratching her scalp.

"Mmm," Daria sighed in pleasure, her hand sliding a bit further up Lindy's shirt as she lost focus. She felt Lindy's bra under her fingertips and regained her senses briefly. Allowing herself to take in everything at once, Daria couldn't find a single reason not to explore further. She let her fingers ghost across the back, moving under her arm and over her side, the pads taking in every detail of the fabric and the soft, smooth skin on either side.

Lindy gasped into Daria's mouth as she felt the other girl's hand sliding up further under her shirt. Her touch was gentle, but firm, exploring. She pulled back a bit, breaking the kiss and nuzzled Daria's ear, lips moving over her neck and jaw.

The door opened and Lindy's roommate staggered into the room, reeking of alcohol. Daria looked over, eyes narrowed and reached for her glasses. "What the…?"

Lindy sat up, a hand on Daria's shoulder. "Daria, this is my roommate Maggie."

Daria stood up, looking at Maggie, then back at Lindy. "Do you want to come stay with me again tonight? This situation doesn't seem like a good idea."

Lindy looked at Maggie, then at Daria, weighing the situation. "Okay. I appreciate it."

Daria shrugged. "It's no big deal." She paused a moment, then smirked. "If neither of us were confused, my opinion of the situation wouldn't change."

Lindy laughed. "Fair enough. Let me grab some things."

Daria found her jacket and sat on Lindy's bed, waiting patiently for her. Maggie looked at them both. "Oh, man, I'm sorry, Lin. I totally interrupted you guys!" She sat down hard on her bed. "You should stay and party!"

Lindy looked at Maggie and shook her head. "No thanks. I'm going to go stay at Daria's."

Maggie shrugged. "Suit yourself." She sat back, pulling out a baggie and beginning to roll a joint.

Daria's eyes widened, but she said nothing, instead looking over at Lindy. "I'm going to go tell Jane we're leaving," she said, standing up.

Lindy looked up, seeing Maggie and nodded. "I'll meet you there, I'm just looking for my history book." She got down on the floor, peering under the bed.

Daria nodded. "Okay." Walking out, she headed down the hall to Jane's room, knocking.

"Hey, where's Lindy?" Jane narrowed her eyes a bit and looked out into the hallway, down the hall.

"Getting her stuff together, she's going to come stay with me tonight."

Jane's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything, instead leaning against the door frame, arms crossed.

Daria sighed. "Do you know why Lindy transferred?"

Jane nodded. "She flunked out because of a drinking problem. That's why I offered sodas at the Ground."

"We'll discuss why you didn't tell me that later. Anyway, then you'll understand how I felt when Maggie just came in trashed." She looked down the hall.

Jane nodded, standing up straight again. "C'mon."

Daria backed up, then followed. "Um. Why are you walking toward Lindy's room?"

"Just in case you need backup." Jane shrugged and stuck her hands in her pockets.

Daria reached for the knob as Lindy opened the door and let out an "eep," jumping back.

"Sorry. I didn't know you were there." She stepped out, shouldering her bag. "I found it under the fridge."

"It's fine. I didn't realize household appliances were so interested in the great Masters." She chuckled and took the book from her, freeing her hand for Daria to slip her own into.

Jane looked at them both. "Listen, Lindy, if you ever need to get away from Maggie, you're welcome to crash with me. I mean it, anytime."

Lindy smiled at her. "Thanks Jane. I really appreciate that."

Jane nodded. "No big deal. It's what friends are for." She smiled at Daria. "I'll see you later."

Daria nodded, smiling. "Yup."


	7. Chapter 8

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria walked into her room, closing the door behind them both. "Does she do that a lot?"

Lindy looked over at her as she sat her bag down by the desk. "What, drink? Yeah."

Daria shook her head. "No, smoke pot."

Lindy shrugged. "I don't really notice it, so I'm not sure."

Daria nodded, taking off her boots and sitting on her bed. "Have you ever done it?"

Lindy nodded. "Once or twice. It's okay. You feel funny for awhile, everything's hilarious, then you get hungry, then you pass out." She shrugged again. "My dad smokes it."

Daria nodded slowly, thinking, then looked back at her. "How do you handle Maggie usually?"

Lindy shrugged. "I'll go sleep in the lounge. I fell off the wagon once, though. I had a beer with her… which led to three more, and so on. The hangover reminded me to get back on track. I've been clean since.

Daria opened her arms, smiling when Lindy sat down and curled into them. "I'm proud of you."

"For what? Falling off the wagon?"

"No, for admitting you did, and getting back on it. For telling me now, with no more shame, and for staying clean since then."

Lindy looked down. "It was only two weeks ago."

Daria lifted her chin with a finger. "That's two weeks that you've been on track. I'm not an expert in these things, but I'm pretty sure the slogan is, 'One day at a time'. That's fourteen of them. I'd say that's pretty impressive." She smiled, holding her close.

Lindy smiled back, kissing her briefly. "Thanks. I never looked at it that way."

"To tell you the truth, I'm a little awed by your experience. Not in a bad way, just that I've lived a fairly sheltered life in all honesty, even though I was fully aware of it. I value your input not just as the person I'm dating, but also as a friend. That's why I ask you questions. I don't ever mean for it to sound like I'm preoccupied."

Lindy smiled. "I'm actually kind of touched. I didn't think you were, actually. You've never struck me as anything but genuinely interested. You're a bit too honest for anything else to have been the case."

Daria smiled. "Wow."

Lindy looked up questioningly. "What wow?"

Daria grinned. "You get me."

Later on, Daria rolled off the bed and groaned. "Stupid college and its workload."

Lindy looked up from her book. "Why don't you take a break? I know it's late, but working straight through isn't good for your brain."

Daria nodded. "So I've noticed." She stood up, walking to her fridge and looking inside it. "I have three packets of mustard and an empty jar of olives. Thanks, Tina." Sighing, she looked up. "Want to take a ride into Boston and find that twenty-four hour taco place by the highway?"

Lindy smiled. "An adventure? Sure."

Daria grinned, pulling on her boots. "A late-night taco adventure with my girlfriend. Sounds like something Hunter S. Thompson wrote." She stopped tying her laces and looked up, eyes wide, cheeks scarlet. "I mean, um…"

Lindy looked over, her shoe half-on. "Your…" smiling, she nodded a bit. "I'd be okay with that."

Daria thought it over for a minute then nodded. "So would I." She finished tying her boots and moved back over to where Lindy sat. "Very okay, actually."

Lindy looked up at her, eyes bright, then pulled a smirk. "Then you should ask me. I bet you I'd say yes."

Daria chewed her lip on a grin and nodded. "I should. I'll tell me later."

Lindy's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously?"

Daria laughed. "You could ask me, too."

Lindy nodded. "I could. But I believe I asked you out on our first actual date… which is in two days."

Daria sat back, nodding. "Wow. I didn't realize, but you're right. This has been moving really fast."

Lindy shrugged. "Not really. We haven't actually _done_ anything yet. All that's happened is we said we wouldn't mind if it were the case. In my opinion we've been taking things at a pretty good pace, one that works for us. If you think we're moving to fast, with anything, you just have to tell me, Daria. I won't be mad."

Daria thought it over. "Okay, fair enough. I guess I overreacted just a little." She smiled, laying her head on Lindy's shoulder.

Lindy smiled, kissing the top of her head. "It's no big deal. C'mon, now I want a burrito."

Several hours later, Daria closed her laptop, finishing the last of her soda. "Finally all finished."

"And it's only three-thirty in the morning. I'm proud of you."

Daria grinned. "And no class on Friday until two in the afternoon." She stretched, moving to her dresser to pull out pajamas. "Do you need something to sleep in?"

Lindy smiled. "Well, I brought stuff, but I could sleep in your Raft sweatshirt, if you'd let me."

Daria blushed a bit and nodded. "Sure." She tossed it to her, pulling out a set of pajama pants and a t-shirt for herself. "You can have the bathroom first, if you want."

Lindy shook her head, standing up. "You go ahead. I'll just change while you're in there."

Daria nodded, heading for the door. "Um, okay." She closed the door behind her, and began to change clothes, brushing her teeth and getting ready for bed.

Lindy changed into Daria's sweatshirt, pulling on a pair of her own shorts before sliding under the covers, looking up and smiling at Daria as she moved to the bed. "Hey."

Daria got into bed, turning to face Lindy. "Hey."

Lindy leaned in, kissing her gently, sitting up on an elbow a bit. "Your lips are really soft."

Daria sighed happily into he kiss, wrapping an arm around Lindy's neck. "So are yours."

Lindy lay her hand on Daria's waist, just a bit under her t-shirt. "Is this okay?"

Daria leaned into her touch and nodded. "I'll stop you if I need to." She pulled off her glasses, laying them on her nightstand. "Right now I don't need to." She pulled her down to kiss her again, relaxing against her.

Lindy smiled, deepening the kiss, her eyes closing. She let her hand slide inside Daria's shirt, stroking her abs softly.

Daria felt a fluttering where Lindy was touching her and shivered, a hand sliding into Lindy's hair. "Mmm," she sighed against her lips. Lindy smiled inwardly, her tongue sliding against Daria's.

Shifting a bit, Daria let her hand slip under Lindy's sweatshirt, stroking her back, fingertips fluttering. Lindy arched up, pressing a bit into Daria's touch, her own hand moving up Daria's side a bit.

Daria pulled back, her breath labored. Her eyes dark, they glittered as she smiled. "It's okay."

Lindy smiled back and nodded, her own blue eyes a shade of navy. "Okay." She kissed her again, deep and slow, her hand moving at a snail's pace up Daria's torso, her fingers ghosting over the bare nipple, finally palming her breast, her thumb moving on it gently.

Daria sucked in a breath, her body arching of it's own accord. "Oh…" Her eyes widened and her fingernails dug into Lindy's back slightly. "Wow."

Lindy laughed lightly. "Yeah." Her hand stilled. "Do you want me to stop?"

Daria swallowed, her mind reeling. "I honestly don't know." She thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, please." She gasped a bit as Lindy withdrew her hand. "Not because it's too much, though. Because it isn't."

Lindy looked at her. "Too intimate for you?"

Daria shook her head. "It feels nothing short of incredible. I'm afraid I'll go too far before I realize it."

Lindy smiled, taking her hand and kissing it. "I get that. And I won't push you. But I wouldn't let you go too far.

Daria looked up at her, eyes clear. "I would."

Lindy nodded slowly. "Okay." Smiling, she lay down and opened her arms. "So how about sleep?"

Daria nodded, sliding down further and settling against Lindy. "Sounds almost not quite nearly as amazing as what we were doing two minutes ago. But it'll have to do."

Lindy laughed and kissed her sweetly. "G'nite, Daria."

"G'nite, Lindy."


	8. Chapter 9

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria paced Jane's room, Natasha looked at her in amusement every few minutes. "Why don't you go find her? I'm fairly certain she's in the scrap room downstairs."

Jane chose that moment to walk in, and Daria smirked at Natasha. "Not anymore." She walked over to help Jane drag an odd-shaped piece of metal into the room. "Hey."

Jane grinned. "Hey, Morgendorffer. Long time no see." She dropped her end, pronouncing, "It'll be fine right there. So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Daria smiled. "I have a date tonight, remember?"

Jane furrowed her brow. "Wow, these weekend things sneak up on you. Nat, did you know today was Saturday?"

Natasha laughed. "All day, Jane. All day."

Jane shrugged and sat on her bed. "Well good for you, anyway. What time?"

"Not until later. I thought we could have some pizza while I tell you the squishy details."

"Squishy details? Daria, you didn't!"

Daria laughed, tugging at Jane's sleeve. "No, not yet. But there's still things to tell. And I need you to help me make sense of it all."

Jane nodded. "Lead the way."

"So when we got back, I finished my paper and we got ready for bed." Daria paused, sipping her soda. "We started making out, and then she touched my boob."

Jane's eyes widened. "Seriously? Go Daria!" She leaned back in her seat, taking a bite of pizza. "Then what happened?"

"Nothing. Then she asked me if I wanted her to stop, and I thought about it and decided I didn't really want her to stop, but I needed her to. She understood that." Daria picked a slice of pepperoni off her slice and popped it into her mouth. "I was afraid if I didn't stop at that moment, I'd go further than I was comfortable with before I realized."

Jane nodded. "I get that. But you're moving forward, at your own pace, with someone who gets your boundaries and respects them. You're probably the only person in the entire world to truly have that."

"I really like her, Jane. Somehow the fact that she does respect me makes it even more amazing. I…" Daria swallowed, looking down. "I want to…"

"Want to what, Daria?" Jane leaned in closer.

"I want to lose it to Lindy." She turned scarlet and ducked her head.

Jane smiled. "There's nothing wrong with that, if you like her. She likes you a lot."

Daria looked up just enough to see Jane. "Aren't I a hypocrite? I was with Tom for a year, and it never seemed right, I never felt ready. I've been seeing Lindy for a week and suddenly I'm willing to toss my v-card in the trash."

Jane shook her head. "There might be lots of reasons why you're ready with Lindy and you weren't with Tom. There might be one. It doesn't really matter, Daria, if you look inside and tell yourself the truth."

"I always do."

Jane nodded. "I know. So I'm telling you, go for it. If you chicken out in the middle, I'm sure Lindy will be understanding. She has been so far."

Daria took in Jane's words and nodded. "You're right."

"I usually am. It's kind of my superpower." Jane smirked as Daria threw a piece of pepperoni at her.


	9. Chapter 10

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria walked down the hall, suddenly nervous. She knocked on the door to Lindy's room, smiling when she answered. "Wow, you look really pretty." She stepped inside as Lindy closed the door behind her.

"Thanks. I just got home from work." She walked back into the room, kissing Daria sweetly.

Returning the kiss, Daria smiled. "Where do you work?"

Lindy sighed. "The Raft Alumni Club."

Daria's eyes widened and she laughed. "Seriously? Quick, we need jeans and a t-shirt, stat."

Lindy nodded. "Pretty much." She slipped off her heels and picked up some clothes. "Give me two minutes to change and I'll be right out."

Daria sat down on her bed, nodding. "No problem." She relaxed, hugging Cosette and staring at the ceiling, thinking about her earlier conversation with Jane.

Lindy changed clothes and emerged, a flowing skirt and blouse in place of the clothes she'd just been wearing.

Daria looked over and her eyes widened. "Wow, you look even prettier than you did a moment ago."

Lindy blushed a bit, moving over to sit beside her. "Thanks. You look nice, too."

Daria shrugged, looking down at herself. She was wearing new jeans, and a sweater her aunt, Amy had sent her. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She leaned down, kissing Daria again, this time a little longer. "We should go, though."

Daria nodded, sitting up. "Yeah." She smiled, reaching down for her bag. "Oh, um, I got you this." She pulled a rose out, handing it to Lindy.

"Daria!" she squealed, beaming. "You're so sweet." Kissing her, she swept up off the bed, tying a bit of string to it and hanging it upside down above her bed. "Drying roses makes them so beautiful. Like being frozen in time, almost. This way it won't die, and I can keep it."

Daria smiled, looking up and watching her. "I'm glad you don't think I'm a dork."

Lindy dropped to the floor, shaking her head. "Never. You're the first person to ever give me flowers, you know that?" She smiled, slipping her shoes on.

Daria followed her out of the room, grinning. "I do now."

Lindy smirked, taking her hand. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were aiming to get lucky."

"So what if I am?" Daria asked, her eyebrows quirking, a smirk on her lips.

Lindy paused, looking at Daria seriously. "If you are, then I'd say I'm the lucky one."

Daria walked out of the film center and took Lindy's hand. "That was really cool."

Lindy nodded. "It was. Kind of trippy in the middle."

Daria nodded her agreement. "Are you hungry?"

"I could eat." Lindy smiled at her, swinging their hands.

"Me too. Anywhere specific you'd like to go?"

"How about Chinese takeout and your dorm room?" Lindy asked quietly, her voice just above a whisper.

Daria slid a glance over at her and nodded, her stomach doing a flip-flop. "Okay."

Lindy picked up a piece of sweet and sour chicken with her chopsticks and held it toward Daria. "Your turn to ask me something."

Daria took it with her fingers and nodded. "How about… your favorite song." She popped the chicken into her mouth.

"Like, of the moment, or in general of all time?" Lindy asked, chewing a piece.

Daria took a deep breath, deciding. "Both."

Lindy quirked an eyebrow. "That's two questions, then."

"Then I'll answer two of yours." Daria smiled, twirling some noodles onto her fork.

"Okay. Well, in general of all time is probably Riders on the Storm." She swallowed, taking a sip of her soda. "Promise you won't laugh if I say my of the moment is Kelly Clarkson?"

Daria smiled. "I promise I won't laugh. I might smirk at you a bit, but it doesn't really bother me."

Lindy grinned. "She has her strong points. My turn. Yours?"

Daria sipped her own soda, thinking. "Well, for my of the moment, I can't really decide between Alanis Morissette and Linkin Park, but my of all time is most definitely Another Brick in the Wall."

Lindy grinned. "I love Pink Floyd." She reached over, picking up a bit of noodles with her chopsticks. "They show The Wall as a laser show in New York. We should go, with Jane. It would be fun."

Daria nodded. "That does sound like fun. I'll look up information on it tomorrow." She set her carton aside and stretched out a bit, sipping her soda. "Is it my turn again?"

Lindy stood, gathering the cartons and placing them out of flail distance. "Yup."

"Okay. Um… Am I the first girl you've ever kissed?" Daria looked down at her hands.

"Would it be okay if I said no?" Lindy sat next to her quietly.

Daria nodded, looking up at her. "Of course. I only wondered."

Lindy smiled. "I kissed an ex-friend of mine a couple of times while I was drunk. I told myself it was no big deal because I was drunk. I guess I was trying to rationalize."

"I get that. Probably more than I care to admit."

Lindy leaned over, kissing Daria's cheek. "It's human. I still like you."

Daria turned her head, capturing Lindy's lips. "I'm glad. I like you a whole lot."

Lindy returned the kiss, sighing happily against Daria's lips, a hand sliding into her hair, the other around her waist. Daria relaxed in her embrace, her own hand slipping under Lindy's blouse at her waist, fingertips running back and forth over the skin there.

Breaking the kiss for air, Lindy smiled at her, gazing openly at Daria's face. "You're really pretty, Daria."

Daria smiled, meeting her eyes. "Thank you. So are you." She moved on the bed, stretching out. "C'mere." She opened her arms, letting Lindy move into them.

Lindy smiled at Daria, settling an arm around her waist, fingertips tracing idle patterns on her side. "I told my dad. That I like girls. He was cool about it."

Daria smiled. "That's great. I haven't really thought much about telling my parents anything. And… um, it might be a bit complicated telling Quinn."

Lindy nodded, her face serious. "I know. And I'm not saying you have to. It's your decision, I… support you, either way."

Daria nodded. "Thank you. I know it could wind up being hard for you as well. I don't foresee Quinn's reaction being very good."

Lindy shrugged. "If she could be that shallow, I'm not concerned."

Daria smiled, then sighed. "And then there's Tom. He might come running up here to battle you for my honor or something just as dumb."

Lindy smirked, holding her closer. "I think I'm more equipped to defend your honor than he is, at this point."

"You have no idea." Daria captured her lips, kissing her deeply, her hand sliding under Lindy's blouse and up her back, stroking the smooth skin. She slid her tongue against Lindy's as her hand moved over the clasp of Lindy's bra. Pulling back, Daria bit her lip sheepishly. "Um… this might be a bit awkward."

Lindy smiled, kissing her gently. "You're too cute. I can help, you know." She sat up then looked down at Daria, an eyebrow raised. "Want me to take off my shirt, too?"

Daria's mind raced through thoughts and images, and she nodded. "Yeah."

Lindy smiled and reached up, undoing the strings around her neck and lifted the blouse over her head, revealing her breasts, small but shapely, confined in a cerulean bra, and milky white skin everywhere, a shallow navel nestled in taut abs. Daria took in the sight slowly and swallowed. "Holy hell. Lindy, you're… breathtaking."

Lindy blushed, the color travelling down her almost-bare chest. "I'm glad you think so." She reached back, pausing, "still want me to take it off?"

Daria shook her head. "No, not yet." She reached out slowly, tentatively, and ran her fingertips down Lindy's shoulders and across her collarbones. Lindy smiled and nodded, moving her hands and laying back. Catching her hands, Lindy caught her eye. "What I said before still holds true. I'm as comfortable as you are."

Daria nodded, eyes grateful and kissed her lovingly. "Thank you." She ran her fingers down the side of Lindy's bra, causing a shudder, and over her abs, causing several more.

Lindy arched up slightly, her abs rippling under Daria's touch. "That feels really good," she whispered, smiling at her.

Focused on Lindy's body, she pushed her back gently, kissing her again. "I'm glad," she sighed against her mouth. "I really want to show you how you make me feel." She sat up, looking down at Lindy. "Like the way my stomach jumps when you look at me." She ran her fingertips over Lindy's abs, smiling at they way they jumped under her touch. "Or the way my heart pounds when you kiss me." Leaning down, Daria kissed her again, slow, deep and full of longing, her fingertips tracing the swell of Lindy's breasts above her bra.

Lindy took a sharp breath, her body responding to Daria's touches. "I make you feel that?" She reached for her, pulling her back down.

"You make me feel more than anyone ever has." She answered honestly, kissing her deeply, wrapping her arms around her and holding her close.

Lindy turned them over and tugged gently at Daria's shirt, pulling it off when she sat up a bit. She bit her lip as her body was revealed, eyes travelling over her skin. Pale, beautiful skin stretched into small, pert breasts, covered by a black sports bra. Daria's smooth abs trembled under her gaze, broken by a small smile at the almost imperceptible scar above her navel. "You had your belly button pierced?"

Daria nodded, blushing, nervous now that she was just as topless. "Yeah. It itched like hell, so I took it out after two days, and it closed up overnight. I might get it redone one day, I kind of liked it."

Lindy leaned down, kissing the scar. "I'll kiss it better when it itches," she said softly, laying a trail of kisses across Daria's abs.

Daria shivered, swallowing. "That feels… amazing."

Lindy smiled, kissing her softly. "It's my turn to show you how you make me feel." She trailed her kisses down Daria's neck and nipped her ear lightly, then pulled back, fingertips tracing Daria's breasts through her bra, circling her nipples, watching them strain against the fabric.

Daria arched into her hands, licking her lips as her eyes fluttered closed. "Wow…" She opened them to see Lindy's hand poised above the front-close clasp, eyes questioning. She nodded, swallowing thickly and whispered, "It's okay."

Lindy undid the clasp, slowly easing Daria's bra off her breasts, first one then the other. She bit her lip on a moan, the sound strangling in her throat and coming out a whimper. Dusky nipples topped Daria's breasts, hard and practically reaching for Lindy. She reached out, fingertips rolling a nipple between them, and Daria arched up, writhing against her. Smiling, she leaned down to kiss Daria again gently, then pulled back, her eyes dark blue and glinting wickedly as she closed her lips around Daria's nipple.

Daria arched up harder, a moaned curse escaping her lips. "God…" She slid her fingers into Lindy's hair, holding her head in place. "That… God…"

Lindy pulled back, tongue sliding over it then pulled back all the way, sliding Daria's hand free. She smiled at her, tracing a path from throat to navel with her fingertips. "That's how you make me feel," she said, sitting back to let the emotion and sensation register in Daria's head.

"I… wow." She swallowed, her nerve endings on fire. "I didn't honestly know I could feel this good. I mean, in theory, but…"

Lindy looked up, eyes curious. "You've never…?"

Daria shook her head, interrupting her question. "No. I have a vague recollection of an attempt when I was younger, but it didn't accomplish much, and it left me feeling frustrated and embarrassed, so I never bothered again."

Lindy swallowed, a realization dawning. "So this is really… your first time… even feeling this way? God, Daria, I'm so blown away." She kissed her lovingly and stroked her cheek. "I feel really special that you're letting me… that I can show this to you."

Daria smiled, cheeks pink. "I'm really glad it's you." She sat up a bit, repositioning them so Lindy lay against the pillows, then sat back for her to maneuver. "That help would be appreciated, now," she said, chewing her lip.

Lindy nodded, sitting up and reaching back to unhook her bra. She slid it down her shoulders, rewarded with a gasp from Daria.

Chewing her lip gave way to biting it, and she pushed Lindy back gently, fingertips roaming her chest, circling rose nipples lightly before tugging on them gently. Lindy's sigh of pleasure encouraged her, and she licked her lips briefly then leaned down to take one in her mouth, a moan escaping around it.

Lindy's eyes closed, her body arching against Daria. She inhaled sharply, pleasure washing over her and slid her hand down Daria's back, nails digging in.

Daria slid her tongue over Lindy's nipple, then pulled back to trail open-mouthed kisses down her chest, tasting her skin. She pulled back a bit, then blushed.

Lindy slid her hands up and down Daria's back, enjoying her ministrations. When they stopped, she opened her eyes and looked up curiously. "Are you okay, Daria?"

Daria nodded. "I'm better than okay. I just… don't really know how to continue from here. Everything till now seemed fairly obvious, but now I'm at a loss. They don't exactly teach this in sex ed."

Lindy nodded. "I understand." She smiled and kissed her, turning them over again. "The pace is always up to you." She kissed a path down Daria's chest, sucking briefly on each of her nipples, then stood up, hands at the strings tying her skirt closed.

Daria sat up, reaching for her. "Let me?" she whispered, Lindy moving her hands to let her untie them. She slipped her arms around her, unwinding the fabric slowly and swallowed hard when it was on the floor. She leaned back, gazing at Lindy through dark eyes, taking note of her thighs and her center, hidden behind panties the exact shade of her bra.

Lindy smiled a bit and crawled on top of Daria, kissing her gently, her fingers going to the fly of her jeans. "Can I?" Daria nodded, lifting her hips to help her pull them off. She shifted then, cheeks crimson and closed her eyes.

Lindy smiled and stroked her cheek. "Open your eyes, it's okay. I think you're absolutely beautiful." She kissed her gently and sat back, hands sliding up and down Daria's hips and outer thighs. Daria opened her eyes a bit and looked down at her. "I've just never been this… exposed before. In front of anyone. I'm a little nervous."

Lindy nodded her understanding. "Well I think you're beautiful." She leaned in, kissing her neck again, breath hot against her ear as she straddled Daria's thigh, her own between Daria's. "And sexy."

Daria gasped at the contact of Lindy's thigh against her center, coupled with her words. She slid her arms around her, tilting her neck to give Lindy's questing tongue more access. She heard herself moan as the thigh between her own pressed down against her.

Lindy slid her tongue along Daria's neck, kissing her way down her shoulder, then back up to kiss her deeply. She pressed her thigh down against Daria's center, moving it side to side, causing friction. Daria dragged her fingernails up Lindy's back, then regained her focus and lifted her knee, pressing it against Lindy's own apex.

Lindy moaned unashamedly, arching her back, her head thrown back. She licked her lips and looked down at Daria, her eyes like the midnight sky. Daria met her gaze, her own eyes black. She reached for Lindy, turning them over, her thigh slipping into place, grinding down against her. She ducked her head, lips closing around Lindy's nipple, and feeling brave, let her hand drift down to where her knee was pressed against Lindy's panties.

Lindy swallowed, inhaling sharply as Daria turned them over and arched up against Daria's mouth. Feeling her hand cupping her sex, Lindy bucked, whimpering. "God, Daria…" She slipped her hands down Daria's back, dragging her nails upward. Daria smiled inwardly, pulling back with a small pop and licked her lips, swallowing hard, fingertips toying with the waistband of Lindy's panties.

Lindy forced her eyes open, looking up at Daria, breathing heavily. "I'm okay with it if you are." Daria nodded. "I'm not totally sure what I'm doing, but I'm willing to try." Lindy lifted her hips, letting Daria slide her panties down her legs. Tossing them to the floor, she looked back at Lindy's naked form. Trimmed honey blonde hair covered her mound in a neat patch, the rest of her waxed, Lindy glistened with moisture.

Daria moved above Lindy, her hand sliding down her hip and down to her center. Her tongue darted out briefly, moistening her lips and she slipped a finger between Lindy's folds and into an inferno of wetness.

Lindy arched up hard, a moan coming unbidden, loudly. "Daria…" she sighed, clutching her back. Daria smiled, sliding her finger down further, and inside her, thrusting slowly.

Lindy swallowed hard, looking down at her, forcing her eyes open, a billion emotions filling her gaze.

Daria slowly added a second finger, and let her thumb drift up to press against Lindy's clit, rewarded by cursing and writhing, nails digging further into her back. She leaned down to kiss her, having realized she was on the right track, and slid her free hand into Lindy's hair. "You feel kind of amazing," she breathed against her lips.

"Tell me about it," Lindy laughed out, eyes squeezed shut, thighs tensing. "Gonna get a whole lot better if you don't stop."

Daria focused on her hand, making sure her rhythm didn't falter, and contented herself with gazing down at Lindy, watching the emotions run their courses across her face.

Suddenly Lindy dug her nails in hard, her entire body tensing. "Oh… God… Daria…!" Her entire body shook, clutching Daria close. She rode her climax, finally relaxing limp against her lover, smiling weakly.

Daria watched, amazed as Lindy came apart under her hands. Her heart pounded as she realized she made it happen. Smiling back at Lindy, she gathered her into her arms and held her as she recovered. "That was incredible." She stroked her cheek, kissing her gently.

"Just wait. As soon as I grow new bones…" She giggled, stretching slowly and turning over. Reaching for Daria's panties, she raised an eyebrow. "Can I?"

Daria nodded. "I'm ready." She lifted her hips, letting Lindy take them off, and lay beneath her, smiling at her.

Lindy leaned down to kiss her, her hand sliding down slowly, a finger slipping between her folds. She gasped against Daria's lips, the wet heat arousing her again. Sliding a finger into her slowly, she focused, internally nodding when she felt no barrier, and added a second finger.

Daria arched up against her, eyes rolling back in her head. Fingernails scrabbling for purchase on Lindy's back, her hips moved with the rhythm Lindy set, feeling a warmth spread over her lower abs.

Lindy smiled down at her, thumb sliding in circles over Daria's clit, and her mouth descended on a nipple, sucking it gently between her lips.

Daria's breath quickened, sensation seemed to be coming from everywhere. Suddenly the warmth in her abs began to spread, causing an almost roller-coaster like sensation of climbing and then she was falling, crying out, nails almost drawing blood on Lindy's back, body arched nearly in half. "Fuck! Lindy!"

Lindy smiled, riding the wave of Daria's climax with her, drawing it out as long as she could. Sliding out gently as her lover came down, Lindy gathered Daria's limp form into her arms, holding her close. "God, you're beautiful."

Daria attempted a smile and failed, her muscles weren't listening to her brain yet. "That… God." She blinked for a moment, trying to regain the power of speech. "That felt… wow." She cycled through every adjective she knew, but 'wow' seemed to sum it up.

Lindy laughed, nodding. "Yeah, that's about right." She kissed Daria chastely and looked down at her seriously. "Daria, now will you be my girlfriend?"

Daria flushed a bit, but nodded, smiling. "Yes, Lindy. I'd be honored to."


	10. Chapter 11

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Several hours and climaxes later, Daria and Lindy lay in the dawn, intertwined. Daria sighed contentedly and looked over at her girlfriend, sleeping softly. She smiled, and stroked her hair back from her face. Reaching over for her phone and glasses, she slipped them on and texted Jane.

"I did it."

Jane responded a few minutes later. "Congratulations. How do you feel?"

Daria thought about that for a minute, then responded. "I feel closer to Lindy, and closer to myself, too if that makes sense."

Jane's response came immediately. "Perfect sense. You know yourself better now. All part of learning and growing."

Daria smiled and typed, "And sated in a way I never knew existed, let alone had words to describe."

"Oh, I bet. How many times? It's 6am."

"Four. Each."

"Damn! I knew you'd be a tiger."

Daria would have blushed, but she looked over at Lindy and smiled instead. "I guess so. Of course I now have new questions, thoughts and worries to add to my repertoire, but that's to be expected."

"You're not pregnant, Daria. Girls can't do that to other girls."

"Not that, ass. Just… things."

Jane stared at her screen, then a light bulb went off. "Oh! Well, just remember you don't have to do anything you don't want, and exploration is healthy."

Daria shook her head and held her palm against her face. This was getting uncomfortable. "I will. Pizza tomorrow?"

"As always."

"Thanks."

She closed her phone, put her glasses down and lay back, staring up at the brightening ceiling. "I guess there's only one person I can talk about it to."

Lindy smiled next to her, stirring. "You can tell me anything, hon."

Daria looked over at her. "Maybe when we're both more awake."

Lindy nodded, yawning and pulled Daria's naked form closer, wrapping around her. "Comfy."

Daria grinned and relaxed in her hold, letting herself drift back to sleep.


	11. Chapter 12

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria lay in her bed, laptop next to her and a book open on her lap. She sighed, and picked up the phone, dialing home.

"Hello, Morgendorffer residence," Helen's voice came through the phone.

"Hi, mom," Daria said simply.

"Daria! How good to hear your voice. Nothing's wrong, is it?"

"No, Mom. Everything's fine. I called to tell you something."

"Oh god, Daria, you're not pregnant, are you?"

"No, I…"

"Joined a cult?"

"Mom!"

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Tell me what's going on."

"I just called to tell you I'm dating someone."

"Daria! That's wonderful! What's his name?"

"Lindy."

"That's an odd name for a… wait, what? Daria, are you dating a _girl_?"

Daria's eyes narrowed and she sat up, the book sliding off her lap. "Yes, Mother, I'm dating a girl. Her name is Lindy, and she's pretty amazing. She gets me like no one else ever has and treats me well. And I'm sleeping with her."

"Daria, I didn't mean to insinuate that… what? You're… sleeping with her?"

"Yes, Mother. As in sex. I've lost my virginity, and I don't regret it."

Helen dropped into a chair. "Alright, Daria. I'll support your decisions. Thank you for telling me."

"I did promise I would tell you when I had sex. The fact that Lindy is a girl seemed to come first, though."

"Well, would it be too much to ask for you to bring her home for a weekend? I'd like to meet her."

"Well, there's a complication with that. She and Quinn know each other. I'm not sure how Quinn would react."

"I see. Well, why don't you talk it over with… _her_, and let me know. Then I'll see what I can do here."

"Okay. One more thing."

"Yes, Daria?"

"She's a recovering alcoholic. I'd really appreciate it if you could keep Dad out of the martinis."

"She's a what? Oh, Daria…"

"What? She's in recovery, and doing really well. I support her, and I don't see why it has to be a big deal. She's already made the hard decisions and is sticking by them. She avoids places with temptation, drinks soda at parties, and stays with me when her roommate is drunk. She's accepted responsibility for the choices she's made, and accepted the consequences of them. I'm really proud of her."

Helen paused for a minute, a tiny smile appearing on her lips. "You're right, Daria, I apologize. She sounds like a mature young lady, and I know you are.

"Thank you." Daria sighed. "I don't know how to tell Dad, but could you put him on the phone?"

"Of course. If I were you, I'd be direct and honest. I'll sit here and keep him focused, alright?"

"Alright. Thanks, Mom. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie. Jake! Daria's on the phone!"

Jake picked up the phone, grinning. "Hey there, kiddo! How's college?"

"It's great, Dad. I have something I'd like to tell you."

"Of course, I always told you that you could tell me anything. Not like my father. What is it, Jakey? Did you hu…"

"Jake! Daria's talking to you."

"Huh? Oh, right. What's on your mind?"

"I'm dating a girl."

"You're not becoming one of those Chinese girls, are you?"

"Jake, you mean Lebanese. And that's wrong too."

"I'm not becoming anything, Dad. I really like Lindy, and she likes me. I don't think I need to _call_ it anything."

"Okay, fair enough, kiddo. When do we meet her?"

Daria sighed again. "Maybe in a couple of weeks."

"Okay! Well, you know I support you, no matter what. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Okay, Dad. Thanks."

Helen picked up the phone again. "That went well. I'll re-explain it to him tonight."

"Thanks. Well, I'm writing a paper, so I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, Daria. And thank you."

"You're welcome." Daria hung up the phone and took a deep breath. She dialed Quinn's cell phone and waited.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Quinn."

"Hang on, I can't talk. Give me a minute." A moment of static followed, accompanied by grunting and what sounded like a drawer of silverware falling. Another moment and Quinn's voice returned. "Okay, sorry. What's up?"

"What were you doing?"

"I was trying to put a dress on the rack, and the whole thing fell. I'm at work."

"Oh. Well, if you don't have time, I'll call you later."

"Nah, I took a bathroom break. Talk to me, Daria."

"Remember your friend Lindy?"

"Yeah… wait, I never told you her name…"

"She goes to BFAC with Jane. She transferred there after flunking out of Lawndale State."

"Oh. How'd you even know it was her?"

"I told her about the cheesecake you brought home from Governor's Park. She filled in the rest."

"How is she?" Quinn's voice sounded a little sad.

"She's doing well, actually. She's in recovery, almost a month sober. She said she wouldn't have done it if it weren't for you."

"Really? That's great, Daria. I'm so glad I did the right thing. I was so sad when she left, I just knew I'd never see her again."

"She really liked you, Quinn. She's told me that she's sad about not being friends with you anymore. She walked away from you because she was embarrassed about her problem, and that you noticed."

"Well, could you tell her that she doesn't have to be embarrassed? She taught me a lot of stuff too, and I'm really happy that she's getting help."

"I promise I will. Um, Quinn… there's something else, though."

"What? She didn't like, become unattractive, did she? I know that happens sometimes…"

"No, she's beautiful. It's just… I'm dating her."

"You're WHAT?! But you CAN'T be! She's not like one of those… girls! She's smart, and pretty, and… oh my god, you're not joking."

Daria clenched her jaw. "Neither she or I know if we're one of _those_ girls, Quinn. What we do know is that we like each other, we get along, and we're attract…"

"Okay, Daria. Well… I guess it's okay, I mean… as long as she doesn't turn into those girls with the plaid. I mean really, Daria. Plaid? Even you're not that unfashionable… Are you?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Anyway… thanks for being okay with it all."

"You _are _my sister. What else was I gonna do?"

Daria smiled. "Fair enough. I'll see you soon, Quinn."

"Bye, Daria."


	12. Chapter 13

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria hung up and grinned, stretching. Pulling on her boots, she grabbed her coat and wallet, going downstairs and getting into her car. She drove to the market, buying a bottle of sparkling cider and two chocolate cupcakes and headed up to BFAC. She headed upstairs and over to Lindy's room, knocking softly.

Lindy opened the door and smiled. "Hey. I only just left a couple…" she looked over at the clock, "five hours ago. To what do I owe the pleasure?" She stepped aside for Daria to enter.

"I called my parents." She stepped into the room, holding out the bottle so Lindy could clearly read the label. "I think I just came out of the closet."

Lindy grinned and hugged her. "What happened? Tell me!" She rinsed out two cups, opening the bottle and pouring a bit for each of them.

"Well, I told my mother first. It took some reminding of parental responsibilities of support before she agreed to let me live my own life… but she does want me to bring you home for the weekend."

Lindy nodded. "My dad said the same thing, but we weren't even officially going out at that point."

Daria nodded. "I asked her to keep the liquor cabinet locked, so my dad wouldn't get nuts. I figured you wouldn't want the added stress either."

Lindy smiled. "Thanks." She sat down, handing a cup to Daria, kissing her cheek. "What else?"

"And I spoke to Quinn."

Lindy paused, cup halfway to her lips. "How did that go?"

"Do you want the good news or the agonizing details?"

Lindy sighed a breath of relief. "Give me the details."

"Well, she's really happy to hear that you're in recovery, and alive. She'd apparently been harboring secret fears of the worst for some time." Daria sipped her cider. "She'd really like to give a friendship between you two another shot, if you're willing, and after some nonsense about us wearing plaid, she agreed to support us on the grounds that I'm her sister, and you're quite possibly the best friend she's ever had."

Lindy's jaw dropped open, her eyes glassy. "Wow, I… really?" She wrapped her arms around Daria, hugging her tight. "That's wonderful."

Daria rubbed her back, smiling. "I thought so. All in all, a pretty good trio of phone conversations. I haven't bothered calling Tom yet, but I'm pretty certain I can handle it when I do."

Lindy nodded. "I have no doubt."

Daria opened her bag and took out the little box from the market. "And I brought chocolate."

"Another plus to dating a girl."


	13. Chapter 14

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria left Lindy's room later and walked down the hall to Jane's, knocking on the door. Jane opened it and smiled. "Whoa, it is true."

Daria walked in, confused. "What is?"

"The glow-y thing." She smirked and went back to her easel, green and blue smearing the canvas. "How's it feel?"

Daria shrugged. "I'm honestly just… regular. I feel happy that I'm with Lindy, and happy that she's the one I chose to be my first. I feel a bit more… aware, knowing things about sex I didn't before, but otherwise there's nothing really special about the way I'm feeling."

"Fair enough. So what was it you wanted to talk about this morning? I'm really sorry I put you off. I wasn't really awake, and the whole conversation kind of threw me off-balance."

Daria shrugged. "Nothing some virus-laden websites couldn't explain."

"You watched… porn?"

"I didn't really know how to ask the questions I had in my head, and I still don't. Not to you, or to Lindy, so… I did research." Daria shifted, once more uncomfortable.

Jane sat next to her, looking at her seriously. "Look, I'm sorry I made fun of you, but seriously, if you want to talk, we can. Whenever you figure out how to formulate your sentences."

Daria looked down at her hands and sighed. "Have you and Natasha done anything besides kiss?"

Jane nodded. "Told you, moving day, 11am. But it was just the once."

"What'd you do?"

Jane took a breath, and stretched out her legs. "Well, there were fingers, and…" she swallowed, trying to figure out how to explain herself.

Daria sighed again, resolving herself. "I'll make this easy. Who gave?"

"We both did."

"Just fingers?"

"Yeah…"

Daria nodded. "Have you ever watched porn?"

Jane blinked at the sudden change in topic. "A couple times, why?"

"They do things in those videos. Things that I haven't done, but that I'm thinking I'd like to try. Things I'm sort of terrified of even wanting to try, because to me at least, they're sort of intense."

Jane followed her sentence and then nodded. "You mean like with… tongues."

Daria nodded, blushing. "Yeah."

Jane shrugged. "People do those things all the time. Hell, people do _lots_ of things all the time. Things that are intense, weird, gross… that has to be one of the more normal ones." She chewed her lip, then brightened. "Go home and practice."

Daria blinked. "I'm not that flexible."

"Nah, I mean with… the taste. Might get you more comfortable."

Daria thought it over. "I suppose I am alone in that room now."

"There's the spirit!" Jane grinned, picking up her palette.

"I told my folks and Quinn about Lindy." Daria leaned back on her hands.

"Oh yeah? How'd they take it?"

"My mother wants me to bring her home for the weekend, my father thinks she's Lebanese, and Quinn told me not to start wearing plaid."

"Sounds about right." She painted a stripe of blue over a patch of green and said, "Better keep your dad out of the liquor cabinet."

Daria nodded. "Mom and I already talked about that. She was a little judgmental about Lindy's drinking problem, but I informed her that I support Lindy, and so should she."

Jane nodded. "I completely agree. God, this sucks. How am I supposed to paint Anger using green and blue? Stupid assignment."

Daria shrugged. "Like Pollock would."

Jane looked over at her, then around at the room. "I'm gonna need more tarp."


	14. Chapter 15

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria walked out of her Wednesday afternoon Journalism class to find Tom leaning against her car. "Hey."

Daria sighed and tossed her books into her car, eyes narrowed in frustration and anger. "What are you doing here?"

"What? I just came by to say hello, and you're angry?" Tom stood up, raising his arms defensively.

"How exactly did you just 'come by' when you're three hours away in the dead of night with no traffic?" She opened her driver's side door but didn't get in, leaving it a barrier between them.

"My roommate's reading his poetry at a coffee shop ten minutes from here. I offered to drive him. Want to get some coffee?"

Daria covered her face with a hand. "I can't. I'm on my way to meet someone."

"So bring them along."

"I can't. We have previous plans." She started to get into the car.

"Like a date? Who do you have a date with?" Tom asked insistently, hands on her door.

"What's with you? It's not like you'd know them. All your friends are at Bromwell." She closed her door and started the engine.

"Fine. If you change your mind, I'll be here till Friday." Tom turned, walking up the street.

Sighing, Daria texted Lindy, then Jane, the same message. "Tom's here at Raft."


	15. Chapter 16

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Lindy walked over to Jane's room, knocking, her phone in her hand. Jane nodded. "I got the same message."

Lindy sighed as Daria got off the elevator. "His friend's reading poetry at a local coffee shop, Tom said. He thought he'd come by and say hello. He was leaning on my car when I got out of class." She walked into Jane's room and dropped heavily to the bed.

Jane sighed and nodded. "Figures. The Ground's having a poetry slam every night this week. How long's Sloane staying?"

"Till Friday." Daria leaned against Lindy and groaned. "Why does he have to be such a jerk? When I told him I needed to go, he asked me for coffee. When I told him I was meeting someone, he told me to invite them. When I said I had plans, he asked me was it a date and with whom. I just want him to go away."

Lindy slid an arm around her and Jane sat on the other side. "I guess the three of us are just going to have to go to a poetry slam," Jane said, a smirk on her lips.


	16. Chapter 17

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria walked into the Ground with Lindy, slipping into a booth near the back as Daria scanned the crowd. "There's Tom," she said, pointing him out.

Lindy nodded. "Okay. Jane should be here any minute."

Daria sighed. "You're sure you're okay with this plan?"

Lindy nodded again, smiling. "It's fine, really. My friends and I used to this kind of thing… well, we were usually drunk, but…"

Daria nodded and squeezed her hand. "There's Jane." She signaled her from the table and Jane slid into the booth. "He's in front, right side near the stage," Daria whispered.

Jane nodded. "I saw. During intermission, we'll get him."

The three of them sat and sipped coffee, and when the emcee announced a break, Jane slid out of the booth. "Here we go."

Daria and Lindy watched Jane head straight for Tom, whispering something to him. Lindy stood up and whispered something to the bouncer, who smiled and nodded, pocketing the twenty she slipped him. Sitting back down, she slid an arm around Daria watching Tom and Jane get closer. "Here we go."

Daria turned, leaning in to kiss Lindy gently. She slid a hand into her hair, losing herself in the kiss quickly. She'd made sure to wear a green blazer like the one she wore all throughout high school, so Tom would notice her. She'd just deepened the kiss with a soft moan she couldn't contain when she heard "What the…?"

Daria and Lindy pulled back quickly as if being caught at something. "Tom!" Daria exclaimed, trying to blush and failing.

"What is this, Daria?" He gestured at her and Lindy then crossed his arms as if waiting for an explanation.

Daria narrowed her eyes. "What's it look like, Tom? I told you I had plans tonight."

"So you're a lesbian now? Is that why you broke up with me? To backpedal further away from sex?" He laughed, the sound grating on Daria's nerves.

"No, actually, Daria and I have a full and active sex life. Or don't you believe two women can have sex without a dick being involved?"

Tom blinked. "You… wait, Daria?" He looked at her, his voice small now. Seriously?

Daria nodded. "I won't say I'm a lesbian, Tom, because I don't know if that's true or not. But I do know that I like Lindy, and she makes me feel good. She validates my feelings and supports my decisions. She makes me feel special… and appreciated."

Lindy beamed, leaning against her for a moment. "Thanks, Babe."

"You're welcome." Daria smiled at her.

Tom looked between them, throwing his hands up, incredulous. "I can't believe this. I was patient, and understanding and supportive for a year, and you jerked me around like a yo-yo. You've been at Raft for two months and you've already given it away to some bimbo in a skirt."

Daria stood up, eyes narrowed. "Take that back."

"Take what back? You just told me you lost it." Tom looked at her, confused.

"My girlfriend is not a bimbo. She gets me in ways you never did. She knows to take me at my word, and to remember that I'm honest to a fault. When I tell her something, she knows it's true, she doesn't second-guess me. She likes the same books and films I do, and doesn't try to push me into something I don't want just because she does and so therefore must be right. She appreciates me. She's complimented me more times than you ever did in our entire relationship, and she's not afraid to talk to me.

You thought that staying silent was supporting my decision to stay a virgin. But you never once tried to talk to me about it. The closest we came was when I broke up with you. Even after that, you didn't do more than pay me lip service. 'I support you' is not the same as actually supporting someone. And patience? If you were truly patient, you wouldn't have jumped for joy pulling out condoms from your back pocket the second I said the words 'I'm ready'. You'd have held me, and kissed me, and asked me if I were sure. Then discussed it with me, made plans…

And yet none of that happened. Don't tell me you were patient and supportive. And don't tell me you were understanding. The only thing I see is that Mr. O'Neil was right. I did have low self-esteem. I must have, because I clung to you, thinking it was the only chance I'd ever get. I know better now. Girl, boy, it doesn't matter what's between their legs, as long as I like what's between their ears. All I see between yours is a lot of steam. I'm sorry it had to happen this way, but the moment I felt frightened of you and threatened by you in the parking lot today I knew this had to end. Good bye, Tom."

Daria slid out of the booth, holding her hand out to Lindy. "Daria, wait… I'm sorry…"

Jane looked at him. "Wow, you're really clueless. Take a hike, Sloane."


	17. Chapter 18

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria lay on Jane's bed, her head in Lindy's lap as Jane painted. "I can't believe I did that."

Jane smiled, smearing broad strokes of blue on her canvas. "I can. It was pretty awesome, Daria. The look on his face when you walked out was priceless."

Daria shrugged. "He had no right to put Lindy down that way."

Lindy ran her fingers through Daria's hair. "He was angry. But thank you for standing up for me. I've never been more proud to be dating someone."

"Daria's good at standing up for what she believes in." Jane dribbled some green on the canvas. "There's one thing I disagree with, though."

"What's that?" Daria looked over at her.

"I don't think you had low self-esteem. I just think you got caught up in being a teenager. Everyone around you, including me, was so excited you had a boyfriend that you clung to the idea. On the surface Tom's a pretty decent guy. Intelligent, good looking… but he's still a guy. And a snobby rich one, at that. He's been conditioned to be right all the time. You just got caught up in the tide."

Daria weighed her words and shrugged. "I guess that's a way to look at it. But there are good guys and not so good ones. Mack stood up to Jody's father when she wanted to go to a different college… Tom just tried to convince me I wanted to go to the one he was going to. I made the right decision when I broke up with him, and for all the right reasons. I allowed a fondness for him color how I treated the breakup, and let him think there might be a chance. At least he doesn't think so anymore."

Lindy smiled. "Not while I'm around."


	18. Chapter 19

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria packed the car and closed the tailgate. "All set?"

Lindy nodded. "I'm nervous. Are you sure you'll be alright driving all five hours?"

Daria nodded, getting in and buckling her seat belt. "I drove myself here."

Jane laughed, closing the door. "Daria's a much better driver than she used to be. You guys'll be fine."

Lindy smiled. "Thanks, Jane." She smiled. "Take good care of Cosette, okay?"

Jane nodded. "No worries. And Daria, don't forget my art supplies? I really miss that paintbrush…"

Daria nodded. "On top of the dresser." She smiled and backed out of the parking spot. "See you Sunday." She pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the highway. "So you're nervous?"

Lindy nodded. "A little. More about seeing Quinn again than meeting your parents, to be honest." She laughed a bit. "But not by much."

Daria smiled. "My parents are… well, they love and support me, and I'm sure they'll like you too."


	19. Chapter 20

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria pulled into her driveway and gently shook Lindy. "Hon, we're here."

Lindy rubbed her eyes and stretched looking around for her shoes. "God, I just sort of passed out."

"I told you that burrito looked questionable." Daria shut the engine and unbuckled her seat belt.

Lindy shrugged. "Yeah, you did. I should listen to you more often, huh?" She leaned over and kissed Daria's cheek.

"Duh." She grinned, turning to kiss her lips. "Come on, we should get this over with."

They got out of the car and Daria led her into the house. "Mom? Dad? Quinn?" she called out, looking around. "Anyone home?"

Quinn walked down the stairs calmly. "They're at the supermarket. Dad's going to cook something tonight. Hi, Lindy."

Lindy looked up at her sadly. "Hi, Quinn."

Quinn walked over and smiled, handing her a small box. "I never got to repay you for my mirror. I hope you like it."

Lindy opened the box, and smiled, a hand on Daria's shoulder. "Quinn, I… Thank you." She showed Daria the box, containing a small pendant on a thin silver chain, the front saying 'Best Friends' and the back engraved with 'One Day At A Time' in flowing script.

Daria smiled. "That's really sweet."

Lindy reached for Quinn, pulling her into a hug, tears flowing. "Thank you so much for forgiving me."

Quinn hugged her back, scoffing. "Please. I'm just glad you're okay and stuff. I worried you'd get yourself hurt or something."

Lindy shook her head. "Just got my license suspended for a year. But I'm fifty-nine days now." She beamed, holding her hair up for Daria to clasp the chain behind her neck.

"That's great, Lindy. And I've been thinking, and I'm really happy you guys like each other. I mean, I think it's gross, personally, but the love and stuff parts are sweet, so."

Daria smirked. "That's possibly the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Quinn."

"Don't get used to it. Anyhow, I have to get to work, Have fun with Mom and Dad!" She hugged Lindy once more and bounded out the door.

Daria turned to Lindy, smiling. "I'm glad you have your friend back."

"Me too," she said, fingering the pendant. "This was really sweet… and thoughtful."

"I told you there's more to her than even she knows. C'mon, I want to show you my room." She led her up the stairs, past Quinn's room, the mirror Lindy made for her displayed prominently on the wall above her bed, and over to her own.

She opened the door and swept a hand across the threshold, grinning. "Welcome to my refuge in hell."

Lindy stepped through the door and her eyes widened. "Whoa! This is so cool." She sat on the bed and looked around.

"There was apparently a schizophrenic shut-in living here before we moved in. I had to beg my mother not to take it all down. For almost a year I tripped on purpose, grabbing the safety rail every time my mother walked by."

Lindy nodded, grinning. "I'd have done the same thing. It's way cool." She reached for Daria, smiling when she stepped closer. "I like your room."

Daria smiled down at her, running her fingers through her hair. "Thanks." She leaned down, kissing her softly, pulling back as she heard "Girls?" called from downstairs. "And there they are. Out of the frying pan, into the fire."

Lindy smiled, taking her hand and following her out and down the stairs.

"Daria! There you are. Where's Quinn?" Helen closed the door behind her, Jake walking into the kitchen, hands full of plastic grocery bags.

"She went to work," Daria said, grudgingly accepting the hug from her mother. Stepping back, she made introductions. "Mom, this is Lindy. Lindy, this is my mom, Helen."

Lindy smiled, a hand out. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Morgendorffer."

Helen took her hand, smiling. "Helen, please. It's wonderful to finally meet you. Daria told me an awful lot about you."

Daria paled. "I did not."

"You most certainly did! You told me how pretty she is, and how much you like her." She swept through, heading into the kitchen. "Would you girls like something to drink?"

Lindy smiled, squeezing Daria's hand. "A glass of water would be great."

"Sure!" Helen took a glass down from the cabinet, pouring water from the refrigerator filter. "Daria?"

Daria walked to the fridge, pulling a can of soda out. "I know where the fridge is, I'm the one who used to live here, remember? Dad? This is Lindy…"

Jake looked up from his cookbook. "Hi! Pleasure to meet you, Lindy!" He grinned, then went back to reading. "Three chopped shallots…"

Daria shrugged and led Lindy to the table, sitting down with her soda. Helen walked over, setting the glass of water down in front of Lindy. "How was the drive?"

"It was fine. Some trucker decided to make lewd gestures for about four miles, but then I stopped for gas." Daria sipped her soda and leaned back, taking Lindy's hand under the table.

"Stupid truckers! Always think they know…" Jake exclaimed, interrupted by Helen.

"Jake! Shouldn't you be washing your potatoes?"

"Oh yeah!" He walked over to the sink, turning on the faucet.

Daria chuckled. "So Mom, how's work?"

"Oh you know, same old, same old." She leaned back in her chair.

"What do you do, Helen?" Lindy asked politely, sipping her water.

"I'm a corporate attorney." She sighed. "But I work under a patriarchal chauvinistic misogynist. Daria, did I tell you? I'm considering starting my own firm."

Daria shook her head. "No, but good luck. You have my support."

Lindy smiled. "My dad's a criminal lawyer… well, he was. Now he works for non-profit organizations and charities, stuff like that."

"Really? What's his name? Maybe I should give him a call…" Helen reached for her planner.

"I have his card in my bag somewhere. I could look for it for you later."

"Wonderful! So, tell me about school. Daria said you're going to the Arts school, where Jane goes. How do you like it?"

"Actually, I'm really loving it. I've selected my major in technique, and I'm going to transfer next fall to Raft's lower college and get a degree in education. I'm going to be an art teacher." She smiled, leaning against Daria.

"An art teacher? How wonderful! It's important to find what you love." Helen raised an eyebrow.

"I think she'll be a great art teacher." Daria said, smiling. "You know that mirror in Quinn's room? Lindy made that."

"Really? Wow, I've often admired that myself."

Lindy smiled. "I'd be happy to make something for you, Helen. Perhaps muted reds and golds?"

Helen smirked. "You're almost as good at reading people as Daria. Alright, I'm impressed."

Daria smirked, and leaned back in her seat. "I'm glad you approve of my relationship, Mother."

Jake looked up. "Relationship? Daria, are you dating someone?"

Daria slumped in her seat. "Dad, Lindy is my girlfriend. As in relationship. As in dating."

Jake looked at them both. "Funny, you don't look Lebanese…"

Helen sighed. "Jake, worry about dinner."

Jake looked around the kitchen. "Helen, have you seen that bottle of wine?"

Helen raised an eyebrow. "No wine in the sauce, Jake, I explained this to you."

He looked confused for a moment, then nodded. "Right!" He turned to stick his head in the refrigerator.

Daria sighed again and looked at Lindy. "Wanna get out of here? I'll show you my old school and junk."

Lindy nodded. "Sure."

Daria stood up, walking out of the kitchen, Lindy following. Helen looked up. "Girls? Where are you going?"

Lindy smiled. "Daria's going to show me her high school, Helen. We won't be gone long."

"Alright…" she turned back to Jake in the kitchen.


	20. Chapter 21

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria pulled into the parking lot, waving her hand at the building. "That's it."

Lindy shrugged. "Looks kind of like my high school."

"You didn't have Ms. Li for a principal." She turned the radio on and tilted her seat back a bit. "Sorry about my parents."

Lindy turned, reaching over to stroke her cheek. "For what? They're parents."

Daria leaned into her touch and smiled. "My dad's pretty clueless. He has really bad PTSD from his childhood, and tends to live in his own little world most of the time. My mom's frustrated by the glass ceiling but loves her work too much to quit. To tell you the truth, Quinn and I are both remarkably well-adjusted, considering."

Lindy nodded, leaning down to kiss her. "I think you're more than well-adjusted. But yeah, I see what you mean. My dad's exactly what I said he is. An ex-criminal lawyer who's now a stoner, fighting for the side of right against injustice. Or so he believes."

"At least he's doing something he believes in. I don't honestly believe either of my parents have any faith in what they do. My mother loves her work because it makes her powerful. No other reason."

"And one day I'll be an art teacher and you'll be a novelist and it won't much matter." She smiled, kissing her again. "I like your family, Daria. You don't have to be embarrassed of them, or explain them to me."

Daria nodded, kissing her back. "I know. It's just… the things that matter to them so much is exactly what doesn't matter to me." She laughed bitterly. "I don't even know how old you are, that's how much I care, but I do know you're older than I am. And I know that my mother would pounce on that like a raw piece of meat. She dripped sarcasm all over your dream, and fumbled over herself scolding my father about the wine."

Lindy smiled. "Twenty-two. Well, I'll be twenty-three in December. And she can drip whatever she likes on my dream, I don't need her approval for my chosen career path. Just for me dating her daughter."

Daria deflated. "Alright, fair enough. I don't even know why it's bugging me so much."

"Because as I keep telling you, you're human."

"Yeah, yeah."


	21. Chapter 22

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Helen stood up from the table. "That was actually delicious, Jake. Would anyone like some coffee?"

Daria nodded. "That sounds great." She stood up, kissing Lindy on the top of her head as she passed. "Dad, want some?"

"Sure, kiddo. Thanks. So Lindy, tell me. Do you like sports?" Jake leaned over, peering at her.

Lindy nodded. "I do, actually. I played soccer when I was little, and I used to go to baseball and football games with my dad all the time."

"What do you say we catch a game while you're in town? I have all the sports channels, we could make some popcorn, knock back a few… sodas…"

Lindy beamed. "Sure, Jake, I'd love to." She looked up, catching Daria's eye across the kitchen.

Daria smiled, turning to the coffee pot. Helen lay a hand on her shoulder. "I didn't even coach him."

Daria nodded. "I know." She turned it on and took down mugs from the cabinet, pouring milk into a little pitcher. "All the times I felt frustrated at him, there were also times I realized the frustration was truly unfounded. He's just a dad, like all dads. He built himself a comfy place where he could watch his kids grow up."

Helen nodded, smiling. "I think we don't give him enough credit."

Daria brought the mugs and milk to the table, setting it down and returned for sugar and spoons. "Speak for yourself."


	22. Chapter 23

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Lindy curled up against Daria in the darkness. "Do you mind watching hours of sports with me and your dad?"

Daria shook her head, smiling at her. "No. I enjoy watching sports every so often. It was one of the only ways I knew how to bond with my dad at times, so it grew on me. I think it could be fun. Besides, it's my punishment for letting my mother almost see me cry."

"What? When?" Lindy propped herself up on an elbow, looking down at Daria.

"When my dad asked you. It was like all the fears and frustrations I had, all the shame I voiced in the car with you in front of my old high school… it's like he knew about all of it, and in this brilliant moment of clarity, he made me proud. And to make me proud by accepting the girl I'm dating, well, that made it even better. It overwhelmed me a bit, and I almost shed a tear."

Lindy held Daria a bit tighter, and grinned against her skin. "I have to admit, it made me feel pretty good. Especially when I know he was going to offer me beer." She laughed lightly, her hand stroking Daria's abs softly.

Daria's breath hitched a bit, and she turned, facing her girlfriend. "Hon, can I ask you something?"

Lindy nodded. "Of course, you can ask me anything, you know that."

Daria took a deep breath, then remembered her conversation with Jane. "Have you ever watched… porn?"

Lindy laughed, and kissed Daria. "Sure. Why?"

"After our first time, I got curious. I went on the internet and looked at some. While I realize those videos are designed to cater to a heterosexual male audience, there was something those girls did that we didn't that I got a bit… curious about."

Lindy raised an eyebrow, understanding. "Okay. Curious in what way? In the 'I'd like to try that' way?"

Daria mumbled something and blushed.

Lindy smiled, stroking her cheek. "You don't need to be embarrassed, Babe."

Daria took a deep breath. "Kind of. But also in a very general sense. Jane told me to go… practice." She raised an eyebrow, willing Lindy to understand.

"Okay. Did you?" Lindy propped her head on her hand, gazing at her girlfriend and allowing a very naughty fantasy to run through her mind.

"Maybe. Are you picturing it?" Daria raised her eyebrows in mock shock, shoving Lindy playfully.

"Maybe." She laughed, then calmed. "Did it help?"

Daria shrugged. "Not particularly. At least not for this. I did learn some things about my body, which I suppose is good, but it didn't really make my curiosity any easier to bear."

"Well, a partner's usually required, Babe. We could experiment, if you wanted. I promise I won't be upset if you want to stop for any reason."

Daria smiled. "That's honestly the last thing I'm worried about. I know you wouldn't be upset."

"Well, what are some of your concerns?" Lindy let her hand trace idle patterns over Daria's side.

"Well, um… that I wouldn't… like it. Also that I wouldn't do it right." Daria curled into Lindy, burying her face in her shoulder.

"If you don't, you can stop and go brush your teeth. And I'm not shy about telling you what I need, and you're good at taking direction." Lindy ran her fingers through Daria's hair, kissing the top of her head.

Daria nodded, slowly emerging. "I'd really like to try."

Lindy nodded. "Sure. I kind of do, too, I just wasn't sure how to bring it up."

"When we get back to school?"

"How about right now?"

"My parents are sleeping and you're loud."

"I seem to recall a string of curses cried out by one Daria Morgendorffer…"

Daria sighed, nodding. "Alright, you win." She grinned.

Lindy kissed her. "I always do. Does your door lock?"

Daria shook her head. "No. Schizo shut-in, remember? Just be quiet."

Lindy nodded, kissing her again, deeply, grinning against Daria's lips, sitting up as she followed the kiss, Daria settling on her knees between Lindy's own. Daria pushed Lindy's shoulders gently, laying her down. She slid her shirt up and kissed a path down her chest, lips closing around a nipple.

Lindy stretched out under her languidly, eyes closing. She raised her hands above her head, grasping the railing bolted to the wall. Arching up against Daria's mouth, she bit back a moan, sighing softly instead.

Daria pulled back, taking off her glasses and putting them on the nightstand. She reached under the covers, sliding Lindy's panties down her legs and tossing them to the floor. As she stretched out between her lover's legs, Lindy reached down with a hand and grasped her chin. "If you want to stop, it's okay."

Daria nodded. "I know." She smiled, kissing Lindy's inner thigh and leaned forward, thumbs spreading her open as her tongue slid between her folds. She sighed, pushing her tongue deeper, burying her face in her girlfriend's sex.

Lindy arched, biting her lip to keep from making a sound. She looked down, feeling her own arousal spike at the sight of Daria's face between her thighs. "Daria?" she whispered.

"Mmm…" was Daria's response, eyes closed in bliss.

"Is it okay?"

Daria pulled herself away, looking up at Lindy, eyes black. "It's the best thing in the entire world."

Lindy grinned, sliding her fingers into Daria's hair. "Then why did you stop?' She pulled her head toward her, dropping back onto the bed.

Daria chuckled, the sound lost as she slid her tongue inside Lindy once more. Sliding her arms under Lindy's thighs to wrap around them, Daria swirled her tongue around her lover's clit, sucking on it gently.

Lindy bucked up hard as predicted, thighs squeezing Daria's head from both sides tightly. She fisted her hands in the sheets, heels digging for purchase as she held herself miraculously silent.

Daria felt her own arousal shoot through her and she sucked harder, flicking her tongue over the tip, then sliding it inside her again.

Lindy bucked up hard, her thighs tensing as Daria entered her, swallowing hard and managing to whisper, "So close…"

Daria wiggled her tongue inside her, fingers gripping her thighs firmly. She pushed her tongue as deep as she could and flicked it up, a small moan escaping.

Lindy bit her fist hard, every muscle in her body clenching as she shattered. She bucked against Daria's face, body shuddering as she rode it out.

Daria drank her down, eyes closed in pleasure as she felt Lindy clenching around her tongue. Finally sliding free, Daria climbed up the bed, pulling the covers with her and lay down, curling around Lindy who was sprawled back, boneless. "That was…"

"Incredible," Lindy managed, weakly reaching for her girlfriend. She pulled her down, kissing her, tasting herself on Daria's lips and sighing into her mouth.

Daria nodded, smiling into the kiss then pulling back for air. "That's a good word for it. I seriously think I've found my new favorite thing in this world."

Lindy grinned. "I will never, ever say no to you doing that."

Daria quirked an eyebrow. "Never?"

Lindy paused, then raised her own eyebrow. "Well, there are possibly certain situations where I'll regrettably decline…"

Daria chuckled and nodded, kissing her again. "Lindy, I have something to tell you."

Lindy looked up at her, eyes clear. "What is it, Babe?"

"I think I'm a lesbian." She shrugged, licking her lips unconsciously.

Lindy shrugged, smiling. "Okay."

Daria nodded. "I just needed to hear it said out loud, and I wanted you to be the first to hear it."

Lindy nodded. "Okay." She leaned up, kissing her again and shifting them both so she sat between Daria's legs. "My turn."

Daria lifted her hips as Lindy pulled her panties off, spreading her thighs nervously.

Lindy smiled, sitting back on her heels. "Relax."

Daria took a deep breath and nodded. "I still get a bit nervous when you see me naked. I'm sure I'll get over it eventually."

Lindy moved to straddle Daria's hips, her center pressing against Daria's as she leaned down, whispering, "Daria, I think you're beautiful. All of you. Even this." She ground down a bit, making her point.

Daria swallowed a whimper and nodded. "Okay."

Lindy smiled, backing up to settle between Daria's thighs, spreading her open and pressing her tongue inside her.

Daria felt as if her brain exploded. She writhed against Lindy's face, clutching the sheets tightly in her fingers as Lindy pressed deeper, sliding her tongue through Daria's wetness over and over again, in and out of her.

Daria swallowed hard, reaching above her to grab the bar on the wall, gripping it tightly. She bucked up against Lindy, thighs tensing against her ears. Lindy slid her tongue over Daria's clit, swirling around it and sucking on it softly, her tongue flicking fast.

Daria clamped her thighs closed around Lindy, feeling herself get closer and Lindy slid her tongue back inside Daria, lifting her hand to rub her thumb over her clit.

Daria shattered, bucking hard against Lindy, her body arching almost unnaturally. She clamped her mouth closed, breathing hard through her nose, Lindy drinking her in, tongue sweeping every last drop from deep inside her.

As Lindy withdrew, Daria sank into the bed, every muscle relaxing. She grinned weakly and whispered, "So you liked it too?"

Lindy nodded, kissing her deeply. "I really did."

Daria sighed softly, sucking the taste of herself off of her girlfriend's tongue. "Me too."

Lindy smiled, gathering Daria into her arms. "I hope we were quiet enough."


	23. Chapter 24

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria woke the next morning, the sun shining into her eyes. She groaned, then sat up, reaching for her glasses.

"Mmm…" Lindy murmured, turning over. "It's too bright."

Daria froze. "My mother's been in here this morning."

Lindy opened her eyes. "What?"

"The stupid curtains, she comes in every morning and opens them. That means she was in here." Daria began looking around the room. Lindy's panties still lay in the center of the room, her own nearby. "Ohhh crap."

Lindy sighed. "At least she can't ground you or anything."

Daria smirked. "True. Okay, panic quelled momentarily." She took a deep breath, and reached for her clothes, pulling her panties and shorts on. "I need coffee if I'm going to have a heart attack this early in the morning."

Lindy nodded, slipping her own underwear on, followed by a pair of sweats. "Right behind you."

Daria headed downstairs, yawning, and headed for the coffee pot. "Morning."

Helen looked up. "Girls, we're going to have to have a talk."

Daria sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Can it wait until we've had coffee?"

"I suppose. Would you like me to make you some breakfast?"

Daria nodded. "That'd be great." She poured coffee and handed a cup to Lindy, pulling the milk out of the fridge and handing it to her.

Lindy accepted the carton and nodded as well. "Thanks, Helen."

They walked over to the table, sitting down and sipping their coffee, almost in unison. Daria looked around. "What time is it?"

"Almost seven-thirty."

"Oh God…" Daria groaned and leaned against Lindy, burying her face against her arm.

Lindy nodded, an arm around her shoulders. "I know, Babe. I know."

Quinn walked into the kitchen, pouring coffee for herself. "Who decided to make morning so early?" She sat down across from them, yawning. "And on a Saturday!"

Lindy nodded, an eyebrow raised. "Tell me about it."

"Speak for yourself, I have to be at work at nine!" Quinn whined, sipping her coffee.

"Where are you working now?"

Quinn beamed. "Cashman's department store. The hours suck, and some of the work is really demeaning, but the discount is so worth it."

Lindy smiled, shaking her head. "As long as you're happy."

Quinn smiled back, and turned to Helen. "Mom, can I borrow your car tonight? Sandi and Stacy wanted to go to the movies."

Daria raised her eyebrow. "But not Tiffany?"

"Tiffany's out of town with her parents until Tuesday. Something about someone dying." She shrugged. "Not like, someone related to her."

Helen looked her, scrutinizing. "I don't know, Quinn…"

"You can take mine, Quinn." Daria said, smiling. "Lindy and I had plans to watch a game or two with Dad."

Quinn smiled. "Thanks, Daria. I won't be gone that long." She finished her coffee, dropping the mug in the sink and snatching a piece of bacon off the tray on the counter. "See you later!"

Helen looked over at Daria. "How do you know that's wise?"

"Quinn's a better driver than I am. I'm sure it'll be fine. I trust her completely." She smiled, sliding a glance at Lindy.

Lindy caught her eye and grinned as Helen placed plates in front of them both. "Thanks, Helen."

"Alright, if you're sure. You're quite welcome, Lindy." She set up another pot of coffee and sat down. "Now, about last night…"

Daria groaned, closing her eyes. "Yes?"

"I understand that the two of you have a valid, adult, consensual relationship." Helen sipped her coffee.

"However."

"However, I really don't think it's appropriate for you to have sex while you're under our roof."

Daria nodded, sighing. "Alright. I apologize, it was my idea."

"Daria! I'm surprised at you. I would have thought you'd have a bit more consideration than that. Your poor father's traumatized."

Daria looked at Lindy and sighed, then looked at her mother. "Exactly how did the two of you overhear us? We were practically silent."

"That's not important. My point is…"

"I think it's very important. Did you even overhear us? Or is it just that you made assumptions based on a pile of underwear on the floor of my room this morning?"

Helen looked at her, eyebrow raised. She opened her mouth to speak as Jake walked in. "Morning, Kiddo!" He waved at Daria and Lindy as he poured himself some coffee. "Morning, Lindy!"

Daria turned her attention back on her mother, arms crossed, a smirk forming.

Helen sighed. "Alright, fine. This conversation never happened."

"And that new laptop I wanted for Christmas…"

"Will be on it's way on Monday." She sighed again and looked at Lindy. "I do hope you know what you're getting into."

Lindy looked over at Daria wryly. "I'm pretty aware."


	24. Chapter 25

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria pulled into the Lane driveway. "Well, at least we know we were quiet."

Lindy nodded. "And you get a spiffy new laptop for Christmas. And only two months early."

Daria nodded, getting out of the car. "That's pretty much how my family works. The bargaining system." She took Lindy's hand and knocked on the door.

Trent opened the door and smiled. "Hey, Daria. Hey, Lindy." He yawned. "What time is it?"

Daria looked at her watch. "Almost one."

Trent nodded. "Awesome. What's going on?"

"I came to get Jane's art supplies."

"Oh, right. C'mon in." Trent stepped aside for Daria and Lindy to enter. "So you guys worked out, huh?"

Daria smiled at Lindy and nodded. "Yeah."

Lindy squeezed her hand and grinned. "Daria's a romantic at heart."

Trent laughed, the sound turning to a cough. "I never doubted it for a minute."

They walked upstairs, Daria walking into Jane's room, seeing the small blue knapsack on her dresser. She opened it, and grinned. "Three paintbrushes, two jars of ink, a brick of modeling clay and a large bag of gummy bears. It figures."

Trent shrugged. "So what are you guys doing for lunch?"

Daria looked at Lindy and shrugged. "We didn't have any real plans. Want to grab something?"

"I have to go down to Dega street and get a new string for my guitar. Want to show Lindy the only cool place in Lawndale?" Trent stretched then found a new comfortable position against the doorjamb.

Daria smiled. "Actually, yeah. I was thinking of getting my navel re-pierced."

Trent's face lit up. "That sounds cool, Daria. C'mon, let's go."

Lindy smiled at Daria, taking the bag from her as they walked out, following Trent. "Yeah? I didn't know that."

"As long as you promise to kiss it better when it itches." She smirked, and closed the door behind her.


	25. Chapter 26

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria walked out of the shop, lifting her shirt. "It still itches."

Lindy smiled, dropping to one knee and leaned close, kissing it gently. "Better?"

Daria blushed, and mumbled something.

Trent laughed, and patted her shoulder. "It looks cool, Daria. Just like I told you last time."

"This is beginning to be some kind of tradition," she agreed, smiling.

"Next time I'll get my other nipple pierced, and you can get your…"

"Look, the instrument shop. Didn't you need strings?" Daria interrupted, cheeks coloring.

"Oh yeah, right. I'll be right back." Trent ambled across the street and Daria exhaled.

Lindy smirked wryly at her. "You okay?"

Daria nodded. "There's no telling what body part he may have mentioned and I'm not really up to making promises about holes anywhere right now. This one is enough for the moment."

Lindy smiled. "Well, I like it. I think it suits you."

"Oh? How's that?"

"Well, it's shiny and a bit alternative, but it's easily tucked away from people who wouldn't understand." She smiled and leaned down, kissing her cheek.

"Damn." Daria smiled and turned her head, catching her lips.

"What?"

"You really do get me."

Trent came back, carrying a small bag. "I couldn't remember which one I broke, so I got one of each. At least it'll come in handy if I break another one."

Daria nodded. "That's actually good thinking."

Lindy looked down at her phone. "We should probably get back, the game starts in half an hour."

Trent followed them back to the car. "Game?"

"Lindy promised my dad we'd watch a football game with him on TV. I agreed."

"Bonding with your girlfriend's dad, huh? Good call." Trent slid into the back seat of Daria's SUV.

Lindy beamed. "I thought so. Besides, Daria told Quinn she could borrow the SUV to take her friends to the movies."

Trent nodded. "She's a pretty good driver. She saved Daria's butt once so Daria could save ours."

Daria nodded. "Mystic Spiral ended up in jail a couple of towns over once, and Jane was with them. I was the only one who could come bail them out, but I'd only just gotten my license. I'd had it for like, three days. Quinn sort of decided she was coming with me, and it's a good thing she did, because the first eighteen-wheeler to pass us, I panicked and pulled over onto the shoulder. Quinn took over at that point."

Lindy smiled. "I knew she had it in her."

"Then halfway through she demanded we pick up this hitchhiking cowboy and sat in the back with him…and gave him the money I was going to bail out the band with."

Lindy sighed. "Or not."

Daria smiled, continuing. "When I got through to her about why that was a bad idea, she drove us back to the bar we left him at and managed to convince an entire saloon's redneck patronage to donate money to a worthy cause."

Lindy grinned. "Go Quinn!"

Daria took her hand, squeezing it. "She can be annoying and thoughtless, but she's my sister and I only have one."

Trent grinned as she turned into his driveway. "She'll be cool in a couple of years, when she gets over herself. Thanks for hanging out. Later."

Lindy shrugged as Daria pulled out of the driveway again. "I think she's getting there."

Daria stopped a block from her house and turned to Lindy. "I'm going to say something to you, and I want you to know I don't expect anything in return. I've always felt that words should be said when they're felt and not before."

Lindy nodded, chewing her lip. "Okay."

"Cellar Door."

Lindy looked up sharply, confused. "What?"

Daria shrugged. "Some famous writer, no one's certain who, said that the compound noun 'Cellar Door' was the most beautiful combination of words in the English language. It's said that Poe had his raven quote 'Nevermore' because it was the closest thing he could think of that sounded similar. And an article in an early edition of Harper's Bazaar mentioned an Italian woman who didn't speak a word of English. She heard the phrase and remarked that English must be a most musical language."

Lindy smiled and nodded. "I get it. You really are sweet." She leaned in, kissing her gently.

Daria smiled into the kiss and sighed happily. Pulling back, she met Lindy's eyes and whispered, almost inaudibly, "I love you."

Lindy's stomach flipped and she reached for Daria, kissing her deeply and holding her close. Daria pulled back after a moment and smiled, reaching up to brush a tear away from her girlfriend's cheek. Lindy chewed her lip, a sad smile between her teeth and Daria shook her head smiling. "I told you. I don't expect anything."

Lindy smiled, and whispered, "Cellar door" as she kissed Daria again.


	26. Chapter 27

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

"Go! Aw, you stupid… anyone could have made that pass!" Jake was on his feet, shouting at the TV, Daria leaning against Lindy and looking on amusedly.

"Your dad's really passionate about football," Lindy said quietly.

Daria shrugged. "He can get passionate about anything." She picked up her soda can and stood. "Want another?"

Lindy shook her head. "I have some left. Thanks, though." She smiled and squeezed her hand as Daria walked into the kitchen. Tossing the can in the recycle bin, she turned to the fridge and opened it, pulling out a can.

Helen walked in and smiled. "It's been nice having you here."

"It hasn't been so horrible being here." Daria opened her can and leaned against the counter.

"I like Lindy. She's good for you."

"I agree with both of the above statements." Daria sipped her soda and looked at her mother. "So you're not disappointed?"

"Disappointed? With wha… Oh, Daria. I'd never be disappointed with you for that. I'll admit, it was a bit of a shock, though not too much of one. What I'm trying to say is, whoever makes you happy is who I want you to be with."

Daria nodded. "Thanks. I feel comfortable with Lindy, even with basic things, like touching. People do it all the time, but I never felt comfortable with it."

"And you do now?" Helen sat down and looked up at Daria.

"I do. I like leaning against her when we're studying or watching television. I like holding her hand when we go driving, or walking around."

Helen smiled, nodding. "I'm glad, Daria, really. The two of you seem very comfortable with one another, and she's very pretty."

Daria nodded. "I know she is. I look at her all the time. But she's got a beautiful mind, too."

Helen smiled, sipping her coffee. "I'm glad. I know how important it is to you."

Daria narrowed her eyes. "It's kind of important in general. This isn't a dystopian culture where we breed for looks, and even if it was, Lindy and I aren't exactly breeding. She makes me happy, and a big part of that is that I can have a conversation with her for more than four minutes and she doesn't run away screaming.

She gets me, better than anyone else ever has." Daria sighed as Lindy came up behind her, laying a hand on her shoulder. Daria looked up at her and reached up, laying her hand on top of her girlfriend's.

Helen looked at the two of them and nodded. "Well, maybe one day, Lindy, you could explain Daria to me." She stood, depositing her mug in the sink and walked out.

Daria sighed. "That went well."

"What happened?"

"My mother was trying to compliment you and our relationship with one side of her mouth and remind me that I'm still not normal with the other."

Lindy looked at Daria, an eyebrow raised. "Are you sure?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean are you sure she was putting you down, or was she just not saying things the way you would have?" She took Daria's can from her, putting it on the counter and held both her hands. "I think you've been so braced for rejection that you heard it even where there was none."

Daria exhaled a sigh and squeezed Lindy's hands. "Maybe she's right. Maybe you should explain me to her."

"There isn't a whole lot to explain. I just listen to you, know you're honest ninety percent of the time, and try to be just as honest in return. I take what you say at face value, and ask when I'm unsure." Lindy sat down, not letting go. "I'm not the only person in the world who likes Orwell, or who thinks that Kant was a moron."

Daria nodded, sliding onto Lindy's lap. "My mother's so used to me not having any friends… she thinks I alienate people. But I don't. They alienate me. I'm not sorry that I'm smart, or that I use my intelligence."

"Nor should you be. You're in college now, Babe. And you're in a college that encourages that. Or am I mistaken in thinking that's why you wanted to go to Raft?"

"You're not. When you and Quinn were friends, before, she came home one day after going to one of your parties and told me that it's different in college, that people were smart, and thought for themselves… she told me I'd go to parties, and have lots of friends." She smiled, remembering then sighed. "Maybe I do alienate people."

Lindy smiled, rubbing her back. "So then when we get back, let's have a party."

"Easy for you to say, I don't know anybody." Daria chewed her lip. "Well, There's Scott, the guy who I've been studying with in Calc. He's pretty cool. And remember that girl Andrea I introduced you to? She went to high school with me. I had no idea until that day she went to Raft. She was nice to me and Jane in school, I suppose I could make an effort."

"See? No one says parties have to be huge. Some soda, some pizza, a couple of weird movies… it'll be fun. We'll drag Jane and Natasha, and if Maggie's sober, I'll even invite her."

Daria nodded. "I should go apologize." She stood up and kissed Lindy gently. "Is the game over?"

Lindy nodded. "Your dad went to the market for peppers. He said he's making two-alarm chili."

"Only two? He really does like you." She smiled at Lindy, gazing into her eyes briefly. "You okay on your own?"

Lindy nodded. "I'm going to go stretch out on your bed with my color chart and brush stroke manual."

"They make a brush stroke manual?" Daria laughed, her brow furrowed.

Lindy followed her up the stairs. "They do. It's helpful for when you want to teach brush technique."

"I suppose it would be. Are you enjoying your new path?" She paused by her room as Lindy walked into it.

"I really am. It feels like my creativity lies in helping other people find their own." She smiled, digging through her bag for her books.

Daria beamed. "I'm really glad." She turned, walking down the hall and knocked on her mother's door.

"Come in."

Daria walked into the room. "I want to apologize for overreacting."

Helen nodded. "It's fine."

Daria sat down on the bed and took a deep breath. "It isn't. I've been conditioned to expect rejection, so I heard it even where there was none. I appreciate your support of my decisions."

Helen nodded, sitting next to her. "Daria, the decisions I've made in my life weren't always the right ones. I've made mistakes, and God knows I've paid for them, but in the long run they were my mistakes to make. I have faith that you're smart enough to figure things out for yourself."

Daria smiled a bit. "Thanks." She stood up and walked toward the door. "I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from coming into my room in the morning… or any other time."

Helen nodded. "I'll leave you girls alone, but remember our deal."

"I don't recall a deal. I recall you promising to order a new laptop as hush money so I wouldn't go ask Dad what traumatized him. Or what didn't." Daria's eyes narrowed. "I'm an adult, and I was considerate enough to keep my public displays of affection to a minimum, and otherwise confine them to my room. I'm sure you would rather I be safe in my own home than out in the night."

"Fine, Daria." Helen's tone made it clear the discussion was over. Daria slipped out of the room, walking back down the hallway to her own, stopping outside the door, hearing Lindy and Quinn talking inside.

"So how's school?" Quinn's voice rang through the open door. "Do you like it?"

"I really do. I'm taking technique and theory classes, and in a year and a half, I'm transferring to Raft for the last two years of my education major."

"That'll be cool, Daria's there. You'd be graduating together."

"Yeah." Lindy's voice sounded happy. "What about you? You're a senior now. I bet you're president of the fashion club now."

"No, we disbanded it over the summer, actually. Then I got a job, and Tiffany and Stacy are always hanging out by themselves, so it just seemed to matter less."

"It sounds like you're growing up."

"Maybe. Hey, I'm saving for a car, that's the real reason I'm working, and I was wondering if maybe I could come up and visit you and Daria, just for like, a weekend."

"I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem. I'd love to hang out with you, and your sister isn't as averse to being in your presence as she'd like people to believe."

"I'm glad. I know I haven't always been easy to be around, you know? But I only have one sister."

"I do know. But I also know there's more to you than people realize."

"I'm retaking the PSTATS this year, I'm thinking about trying to go to a real college, and not just Pepper Hill."

"Yeah? That's great, Quinn. What do you want to study?"

"Well, I read all these anatomy and biology books when Dad had his heart attack, I really wanted to become a heart doctor. I'm thinking about trying to do it."

"I believe you can do it, Quinn."

Daria walked in softly. "So do I."

Quinn looked up. "Daria! How long were you listening?"

Daria shrugged. "A couple of minutes. I think you'd make a great cardiologist, Quinn."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "I said I wanted to be a doctor, Daria. Not play poker." She stood up. "Anyway, thanks for the talk, Lindy. I'll see you later." She walked out, closing the door behind her.

Daria watched her leave and sighed, exhaling heavily. "A poker player. Right. Why do I bother?" She sat down next to Lindy and flopped back against the pillows. "My mother thinks I'm inconsiderate."

"Because we had sex under her roof?" Lindy pulled off Daria's boots, rubbing her feet.

"No, because I told her I wouldn't promise we wouldn't again." She sighed, smiling at Lindy's ministrations.

"It's only another night." She tugged off her socks, continuing.

"And maybe nothing would happen anyway, but I don't think it's fair."

"I think it is. Did she let you sleep with Tom?"

Daria's eyes narrowed. "I wasn't sleeping with Tom."

"But if you were, would she have let you?"

"Probably not. But that's the point. I should decide when I have sex… with you, obviously, not my mother. She wouldn't even believe me when I told her nothing happened, and then she comes into the room and jumps to all sorts of conclusions about what did or didn't happen."

Lindy shrugged. "They're your parents, and it's your decision, but I think you're wrong."

Daria smiled at her. "That's why I like you."

"Because I think you're wrong?"

"No, because you tell me you do, and it's enough to have differing opinions." She sat up, reaching for her.

"It's not always enough. I'm totally withholding." She pulled back, smirking.

"That's not fair." Daria looked at her.

"Tomorrow night we'll be back in Boston. You can have all of me you'd like then. For now, all you get is kisses and casual touching." She returned to rubbing her feet.

Daria sighed, slumping backward. "Fine."


	27. Chapter 28

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Lindy leaned back in the car, bare feet up on the dash, singing along to the radio. "I want to cook dinner for you one night."

Daria smiled, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. "Okay. How?"

"Well, you put things together in a pot…" Lindy smirked over at her.

"Smartass. I mean, I don't have a stove in my dorm room, and it didn't look like you did either." She smiled over at her fondly.

"There's a kitchen in my dorm, downstairs. Everyone's allowed to use it." She took a sip from a bottle of water and offered it to Daria.

Daria took it and sipped, nodding. "Okay. I'm a fan of eating." She smirked, realizing her own words a moment too late.

"So I noticed." Lindy took it back, closing it. "I won't lie and say I'm not."

"Good, I'd call you on it." She reached over and took Lindy's hand, squeezing it a bit. "Well, we survived the weekend, and I rescued Jane's art supplies."

"And you got your belly button re-pierced, and I got my friend back." Lindy grinned, squeezing back. "Are you okay with inviting Quinn up to see us?"

Daria nodded. "I'm fine. Having her take the train up for a couple of nights before I drive home for thanksgiving was a good idea."

Lindy nodded. "You're okay with me meeting you the day after?"

"It's sound logic. You're getting your license back the week beforehand. Flying home and driving to Lawndale makes sense to me." She smiled wryly over at her. "Just don't smoke with your dad before driving."

Lindy raised an eyebrow. "Why don't I smoke with you, instead?"

Daria glanced over, then back at the road. "Seriously?"

Nodding, Lindy slid her feet back down and turned in her seat. "Yeah. Try it once with me. We'll see if Jane wants to, also."

Daria chewed her lip, silent. After a moment, she looked over. "I'll think about it."

Lindy nodded, shrugging. "Okay. No pressure."

"Would it hurt your sobriety?"

Lindy thought seriously about it for a moment, then shook her head. "No. Especially if I hang out with you and Jane. No temptation, you know?"

Daria nodded. "Okay. If Jane's willing, I'm game."


	28. Chapter 29

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Lindy dropped her bags on her dorm room floor. "My ass is numb."

Daria grinned, moving behind her and squeezing it. "I'll help."

"My eyes, my eyes." Jane said dryly, walking into the room. "I believe you have something for me, Morgendorffer?"

Daria smiled. "I ate some of your art supplies on the drive up here." She handed her the bag.

"No biggie. You wouldn't be the first." She paused, then said, "Wait, let me rethink that whole conversation."

Daria raised an eyebrow, and Lindy laughed. "We were talking on the way back," she began, sitting down and looking at Jane. "Have you ever smoked pot?"

Jane's eyes widened and she laughed. "Have I..? Daria, have you met my mother?"

Daria laughed suddenly. "Oh. That makes a lot of sense. Well, would you want to smoke with us? I told Lindy I'd be willing to give it a try, if you two were with me."

Jane nodded. "Sure. Anytime you want. Nat's boyfriend gets some really good stuff, too."

"Okay. Also, we've decided to have a party at my room. You can invite Natasha and her boyfriend. I'm inviting Andrea, and this guy Scott I know."

Jane grinned. "Wow, Lindy. You've worked miracles." She nodded, at Daria, smiling genuinely. "Sure, sounds like fun. What can I help with?"

Lindy grinned. "How about grabbing some really weird movies?" She wrapped her arms around Daria.

"Sounds easy enough. When is this shindig?" Jane reached into her bag, pulling out a handful of gummy bears and popping them in her mouth.

Daria looked up at Lindy. "How about… the weekend after next?"

Lindy nodded. "Sounds good."

Jane smirked. "Remind me next week."


	29. Chapter 30

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Lindy's phone rang and she picked it up on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, Lindy. It's Quinn."

"Hey, Quinn, what's up?" She slid her book off her lap and leaned back, listening.

"Well, something weird happened today and I don't know how to deal with it, and you were the only one I could tell…"

"Relax, Quinn, take a deep breath. What happened?"

"I found Stacy and Tiffany kissing." She sounded on the verge of panic.

"Okay. What's the problem?" She shifted, switching the phone to her other ear.

"What do you mean, what's the problem? They were _kissing_. Like, each other?"

"Daria and I kiss." This wasn't going to be easy.

"Well yeah, but you're… Oh my God! Do you think they're _lesbians_?"

Lindy sighed. "I don't know, Quinn. I don't know them."

"But they _can't_ be!"

Lindy narrowed her eyes, sitting up. "Why not, Quinn? What's so wrong about it?"

"Lindy, I…"

"If that's what they want, then that's their decision. I don't see why that should change them in your eyes… unless of course, it changed me, too."

"Of course not! Lindy, you're my friend…"

"Aren't they?"

"Well, yeah."

"So why is it different, Quinn? Because they're young and pretty?"

"No, you're young and pretty… And so is Daria."

"Then what's the difference? Because right now, I'm pretty hurt that there could even be a difference."

Quinn's end of the line was quiet for a moment. "There isn't one."

"Why don't you call your friends and tell them that you support them, Quinn? I'm sure they're really feeling alone right now. They could use their friend."

"Yeah. I'll talk to you later." Quinn's voice was quiet, contrite.

"Yeah. Later." Lindy hung up the phone and sighed. She hugged Cosette to her chest and lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Maggie burst through the door, open bottle of rum in her hand. "Hey, Lindy!"

Lindy looked at her and stood up. "Hey, Maggie."

"Have a drink with me! I totally finished my sculpture!" She waved the bottle around, splashing some on Lindy.

"No thanks." She shoved past her, walking down the hall to Jane's room. Knocking, she heard a muffled "Come in" and opened the door.

Jane looked up from her sketchbook. "Hey, Lindy." She narrowed her eyes, sniffing the air. "Why do you smell suspiciously like a distillery?"

"Maggie spilled her celebration on me. Would you loan me a shirt and drive me down to Raft? I just had a conversation with Quinn that Daria should hear."

Jane nodded, standing up. "With Quinn? This has to be good." She dug in her drawers, tossing Lindy a shirt.

Lindy stripped off her soaked shirt, grimacing as she handed it to Jane. "Burn it or whatever. Just… keep the smell away from me. I might be tempted to wring it dry right now."

Jane's eyes widened a bit, but she opened the door to the bathroom and tossed the shirt into the shower. "That good, huh? C'mon, let me just grab my keys."


	30. Chapter 31

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Sorry this is so short, but to keep the pace, it had to be.

"So I went straight over to Jane's and asked her to drive me over." Lindy crushed the empty can of soda in her hand and dropped into a desk chair.

"I'm proud of you for going to Jane," Daria began. "And also for the way you handled my sister. It sounds like maybe you knocked some sense into her."

Jane nodded. "I was really impressed by your self control, Lindy. You did the right thing."

Lindy smiled a bit, relaxing. "It just… it was so the wrong time for Maggie to show up, y'know? I'm going to ask the housing office if I can switch with someone. I can't keep doing this."

Daria nodded. "That's a smart decision. As for my sister…" Daria reached for her phone.

Lindy lay a hand on hers. "Don't. I don't think she meant anything by it, she really was just coming to her older friend for comfort and advice. Let's wait and see. I just thought you should know."

Daria nodded. "Thanks for telling me."


	31. Chapter 32

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Quinn picked up her phone, staring at it for awhile before dialing. "Hi, Stacy? It's me, Quinn."

"Hi, Quinn." Stacy's voice was soft, emotionless.

"Listen, about earlier…"

"It's okay, Quinn, you don't have to say it."

"Stacy, listen…"

"I'll go away, I'll never bother you again…"

"STACY!" Quinn shouted for her friend's attention. "If you want to kiss girls, it's none of my business, I just wanted to ask you where you got those sandals. They were really cute…"

Stacy paused for several moments then said, "You know that tiny little store on Dega street that homeless man sits in front of?"

Quinn wrinkled her nose. "Yeah…"

"The store across from it that just opened up. They're owned by Cashman's, I heard."

"Oh, cute! I heard about that place…"

"You really aren't freaked out? I mean, I think Tiffany was just doing it for a joke, y'know? But…"

"Stacy, seriously. What you do isn't my business."

"Thanks, Quinn."


	32. Chapter 33

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria opened her door, Jane and Lindy manhandling a door into the room. "What the…?"

"It's your new buffet table. Since you are miraculously roommate free for the rest of the semester, we thought we'd make your room more habitable." Jane grinned, leaning it against the wall.

"We're going to lay it across the second desk and drape a tapestry over it," Lindy said smiling. "A tapestry I sewed for you in class."

Daria smiled and kissed her gently. "Well, the room did seem a little more empty since we pushed the beds together."

Jane nodded. "I snagged this out of the Janitor's shed. It was a spare." She helped Lindy move the desk out from the wall, and they lay the door on top of it. "Perfect fit."

Lindy pulled a large cloth out of a bag and held a corner out to Jane, giving a second to Daria. "Help me open it up."

Unfurling it, Daria smiled at the scraps of fabric sewn together. Slowly she began to realize the scraps were part of a larger design, As the tapestry stretched out, the image became clear. A brick wall, made up of different colored bricks, a gold and silver one side by side in the center. "You said Another Brick in the Wall was your favorite song."

Daria nodded. "This… Lindy, this is gorgeous." She ran her fingers over it gently. "I can't just drape it over a makeshift table… Jane, help me put it on the wall?"

Lindy smiled. "Then you like it?"

"Hon, I love it." She got up on the bed, stretching as far as she could to reach the hook in the corner by the ceiling.

Jane beamed. "I told you she would." She hung her end easily and moved to help Daria.

Stepping back, Daria slid an arm around Lindy and beamed. "It's really beautiful. Thank you." Her phone rang, and she reached for it, brows furrowed in confusion. She answered it, still gazing at the tapestry. "Hello?"

"Hi Daria, it's Amy."

"Aunt Amy, Hi." She smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine. What's new?"

"Well, I happened to be in Boston, and I thought I'd drive by Raft and take my favorite niece for lunch."

"Oh. Where are you?"

"Open your door."

Daria raised an eyebrow and crossed the room, opening the door to find Amy standing on the other side, smiling. "What can I say, I had some free time." She waved, looking inside the room. "Hi, Jane. Nice tapestry, Daria, where'd you get it?"

Daria looked around, then at her aunt, and sighed. "Shit. Aunt Amy, come on in, there's something I sort of forgot to tell you about."

Amy walked in, holding a hand out to Lindy. "Hi, I'm Amy."

Lindy nodded, shaking it. "I'm Lindy."

"Nice to meet you."

"Aunt Amy, Lindy's my girlfriend." Daria reached for Lindy's hand and looked at Amy seriously. "I really would have called and told you, but I sort of forgot. A lot's happened in a couple of months."

"So I see. Well, then it's really nice to meet you, Lindy." Amy smiled and she sat down in a desk chair, crossing her legs. "Did you make the tapestry?"

Lindy nodded. "It's actually going to be my final project for the semester. I go to BFAC, with Jane."

Amy nodded. "Well, awesome. Who wants to go to lunch?"


	33. Chapter 34

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

"And so Lindy reconciled with Quinn, and I got a new laptop." Daria sipped her soda.

"Sounds sort of intense. I would have loved to see your mother's reaction when she walked into your room and saw two sets of panties on the floor. She must have had a stroke." Amy smirked, biting into her pizza.

"Pretty close to it," Lindy said, grinning. "For a minute I thought I was going to spend the rest of the weekend in the SUV."

Amy waved dismissively. "Eh, Helen wouldn't do that. She'd just make you sleep in the living room on the couch, and who wants that?" She chuckled and leaned back in her seat.

Daria nodded her agreement. "Besides, she knows I'd have gone down there and crawled onto the couch with you."

Lindy grinned. "Can't have that."

Amy looked at her watch. "Okay, time to go. I'm meeting my publisher in an hour." She grinned and stood up. "I'll see you at thanksgiving, right Daria?" And Lindy?"

Daria nodded, smiling. "Lindy'll be up the day after."

"Going to spend Thanksgiving with my dad," she said.

"Awesome. Bye, kids." She waved as she walked out and Jane grinned. "Speaking of thanksgiving, did I tell you? Mom called me, and she's having everyone come home."

Daria looked over at her. "I'll tell my dad to pull out the air mattress."


	34. Chapter 35

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria handed Lindy the pizza boxes while she unlocked her door, then took them back and walked in. "Scott said he'd be here at seven, Andrea said she'd be here, but she wasn't sure when she'd get out of work."

Jane set a case of soda down on the new "table" and reached for the pizza boxes. "It'll be cool getting to know her. Oh, and Nat'll be here in a little while, but she and Dayton broke up, so he won't."

Daria nodded. She shoved a pile of laundry into her closet and shut the door. "Hon, I think you have as much clothing here as I do."

Lindy laughed. "That reminds me, I have some of your clothes in my room. They're clean, I did laundry on Thursday."

"Is that where my Twain t-shirt went? I've been looking everywhere." Daria asked over her shoulder, making the bed.

"Yup. That's not so clean. I've sort of been wearing it to bed." Lindy's cheeks turned pink.

Jane made a gagging sound. "God, spare me." She grinned at Daria, unpacking sodas into a metal bucket.

Daria raised an eyebrow. "Your move-in day vibes dry up, Lane?"

"Who ever thought you'd be getting more action than me in college?" She opened a bag of cheese puffs and tossed one at Daria.

Daria shrugged, blushing and mumbling.

"I joke, I joke." Jane walked over, laying a hand on Daria's shoulder. "Here, have a cheese puff."

Daria smirked, taking one as a knock sounded. "That's probably Scott." She opened the door, a slender blond guy in Raft sweatpants stood in the door. "Hey, Daria."

"Hey, Scott. C'mon in." She stepped aside, letting him through. "This is Jane, and that's Lindy."

"Hey." He smiled, raising a hand in greeting. "I baked some cookies. I promise, they're not laced."

Jane smirked. "Thanks." She took the cookies, setting them on the table.

Daria waved at the room. "Sit anywhere. Want a drink?"

Scott nodded, smiling. "A coke would be awesome, thanks." He untied his sneakers and sat cross-legged at the end of Daria's bed. "I like your tapestry."

Daria brought him a can, sitting down next to Lindy. "Thanks, Lindy made it."

"Awesome." He grinned, nodding approval at Lindy. "I made a quilt once with my dad. He has it in his truck, I think."

Jane raised an eyebrow at Daria and looked over at Scott. "So where are you from, Scott?"

"California. I'm a Junior here, law major." He opened the can and sipped it. "I'm going to go home and fight for legal marijuana."

"Wow, a math whiz _and _a law geek." Jane smiled, crossing her legs. "And yet you seem pretty cool."

"Thanks, I try." Scott smiled at Jane and shrugged. "Do you go to Raft too?"

Jane shook her head. "Lindy and I go to BFAC."

"Oh, sweet. My dad does paintings and stuff. Mostly of the kids that surf in our backyard."

"I'm more of an abstract artist." She munched on a cookie. "Hey, these are pretty good. Daria, you shou… oh, sorry."

Daria and Lindy pulled apart and they both blushed. "Sorry. Cookies?" Daria reached for the tin.

Scott laughed. "It's all good." He passed her the tin and looked up at the knock on the door.

Lindy stood up, stepping over them off the bed. "I got it." She opened the door and smiled. "Hey, Natasha."

Natasha walked in, waving. "Hey Daria. Hi, boy I don't know." She tossed a baggie at Daria. "Here. You can put it away if you want, but Jane had mentioned getting it for you and I figured before I left Dayton, I might as well get you some good shit."

Daria caught the baggie and held it up, eyes wide. "Isn't this kind of a lot?" She opened her nightstand drawer, shoving it under some stuff.

Natasha shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Also, I was gonna bring some non-alcoholic daiquiris, but I didn't know if that would be a problem, so I'm sort of empty-handed. I can go back out, though."

Lindy smiled. "It's fine, you brought yourself, which is plenty. And thanks for thinking about it."

"I dig it, Lin. My dad's been twenty-five years." She smiled, taking off her coat.

Daria leaned over, fiddling with her computer, music began filtering through the room. "It was thoughtful though, thanks Natasha. And thanks for, um…"

"The pot? No problem." She grinned, taking a slice of pizza and sitting on the floor next to Jane's chair. "Really, it gave me great pleasure. He doesn't know I knew where he hid it. He'll never even know it was me."

Lindy laughed, sitting back down on the bed next to Daria. "Awesome. So Jane, what movies did you get?"

Jane pulled a stack of DVD cases out of her bag. "Satan's Schoolgirls Three, which isn't a porn, I checked, Die, Bitch, Die, Cannibal Holocaust, Color Me Blood Red and Isle of Forgotten Sins."

Daria looked at her, eyes wide. "Wow, you sure know how to pick 'em."

"Hey, you told me to get weird movies, and I did." She shrugged. "The best exploitation b-movies money can rent."

Lindy grinned. "I bet they'll be terrifically bad. Let's watch Satan's Schoolgirls first."

Daria smiled at her. "Satan's Schoolgirls _three._" She nodded at Scott. "Hey, these really are good. What are they made of?"

"Hemp flour. But they're not lifting. They're THC-free." He smiled. "I got the recipe from this girl."

Lindy took a piece off of Daria's cookie and popped it in her mouth. "Whoa, hey, that's really yummy. Can you get me the recipe? I'd love to make them for my dad."

Scott nodded, smiling. "Sure." He took a sip of his soda and reached for a slice of pizza.

Jane stood up, heading for the DVD player. "Satan's Schoolgirls Three it is." She slid the disc into the tray as there was a knock at the door. "Either that's Andrea, or the cops are busting us for pot-free baked goods." She opened the door and Andrea held up a hand in greeting. "Hey."

Jane smiled. "Hey, Andrea. Come on in." She stepped aside, closing the door behind her. "This is my roommate, Natasha, and that's Scott, Lindy and Daria." She smirked, grabbing the remote.

"Hey, I'm Andrea." She waved at Natasha and Scott then took off her coat.

"You can sit anywhere." Daria shifted, making more room on the bed.

"Here, Andrea, take my seat. I'll squish Daria and Lindy." She stepped up onto the bed, settling against the wall between Scott and Lindy.

"Thanks." She sat down, setting her bag on the floor. "I brought popcorn from the theater I work for. I figured, we're watching movies, right?" She smiled a bit and shrugged.

Daria smiled. "Thanks, that's awesome. Jane's picked out some real winners."

Andrea leaned over, looking at the stack. "Whoa, I love Color Me Blood Red. It's so bad." She grinned. "What are watching first?"

"Satan's Schoolgirls Three," Natasha said, reaching for a soda.

"Sounds excellent." Andrea leaned back in her seat.

Jane pressed play. "And so it begins."


	35. Chapter 36

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria closed the door, looking at Jane and Lindy. "That was fun."

Lindy nodded, opening her arms. "It really was."

Jane closed the pizza box and brought the bucket to the sink to pour out water. "There's enough pizza for breakfast," she called through the bathroom door. "I should probably leave you guys alone."

Daria looked at Lindy and fingered her nightstand drawer. Lindy nodded. "I dunno, don't you want to stay and smoke with us?"

Jane brightened and walked back into the room. "Well since you twisted my arm."

Daria shrugged and pulled out the baggie. "I don't even know how to begin."

Jane reached for the bag and pulled a packet of papers out of the bottom. "Nat took care of that part, too." She pulled one out and sat down, rolling a joint. "Voila."

Daria nodded and stood, grabbing a bottle of water and a box of matches from her desk. "You'll need these, then."

"Truer words were never spoken." She struck a match and lit the joint, puffing a bit before blowing out the match. "There, now like this." She inhaled a bit and held it, passing the joint to her.

Daria took it from Jane and looked down, frowning at it. "Alright, here goes nothing." She held it to her lips, inhaling and promptly began coughing hard. "That didn't go very well."

Lindy took it from her, inhaling. "Here, try this instead. You breathe in, when I breathe out." She pressed her lips to Daria's, blowing smoke into her mouth gently.

Daria inhaled the smoke, managing not to cough this time and nodded. Exhaling a moment later she shrugged. "That wasn't nearly as difficult."

Jane took the joint, puffing on it a bit and passed it over to Lindy. "Still, you'll only get half as much that way."

Daria nodded in agreement. "I might as well get the full experience out of this." She took the joint from Lindy and tried again, this time successfully.

"There you go," Jane took it from her and leaned back. "If you want the full experience, you should play some classic rock." She passed the joint to Lindy and looked up at the ceiling. "Who knew Andrea was cool?"

Lindy puffed as she scrolled through Daria's music files, making a playlist. "She really is. Scott's a little…"

"Stoned?" Daria laughed. "He doesn't smoke at all. And makes sure to tell everyone he meets that. He's just sort of like that."

Lindy shrugged. "To each his own. He's cool, though. And he bakes killer cookies."

Jane nodded as Daria puffed. "I'll say." She looked over at Daria as she took the joint from her. "How're you feeling, Morgendorffer? Anything yet?"

"I'm just really thirsty." She turned to get her water bottle and knocked it over, watching in dismay as it rolled under the bed. "Crap."

"I'll get it." Lindy started to rise and caught her foot in the blanket, sprawling on top of Daria and Jane.

Daria burst out laughing, reaching for Lindy. "You okay, honey?" she asked between gasps for air.

Lindy nodded, giggling hard. "I'm stuck!" She kicked her foot, the blanket firmly wrapped around it.

Jane roared with laughter. "It's got you!" She fell backwards, clutching her sides. "Oh no!"

Lindy smacked Jane playfully, reaching for her foot and finally unwrapping it, promptly falling to the floor. "Ack!"

Daria shook her head, reaching for her again and failing, her hand grasping air and falling forward on to Jane and breaking into a fresh peal of laughter.

Jane held the joint above her head. "Hey!" She laughed, pushing at Daria and managing to grab her breast in the process. "Ah! Sorry…" She pulled back, blushing hard.

Lindy smirked, rising to her knees. "Watch where you're grabbing, Lane." She slid onto the bed, handing Daria her water. "Don't start something you can't finish."

Daria looked between them and raised an eyebrow, handing Jane the bag. "Roll another."

Jane nodded, cheeks crimson. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine, Jane," Daria said softly. "Lindy was teasing."

Jane looked up at Lindy who nodded. "No big deal," she said just as softly.

Jane handed the finished joint to Daria, who lit a match. "Do I light it the same way?"

Lindy nodded. "Don't inhale as hard."

Daria lit the joint and grinned. "I don't know if I should be proud of myself exactly, but I did it."

Jane chuckled. "It's an achievement to regale the grandchildren with."

Lindy took it from Daria and toasted her with it. "Here's to delinquent behavior." She took a hit and grinned.

Daria unscrewed the cap on her water and gulped down half the bottle. "Holy crap," she said, panting.

"Yeah, that happens," Jane said, taking the joint from Lindy, puffing on it and passing it. "Are there any non-pot cookies left?" She slowly rose, a hand on each of the other girls' heads for balance.

Lindy nodded, laughing as the pressure pushed her head down. "Good job. You're better at this than I am."

Daria lay back, her foot wiggling in time to the music, staring at the ceiling. "Wow, this is a pretty cool feeling."

Lindy started giggling again, looking over at Jane. "I think Daria's high."

Jane walked over, munching a cookie noisily. She waved a hand slowly in front of Daria's face, watching her eyes following it. "Yup, she's stoned."

Daria sat up a bit, reaching for Lindy with one hand and Jane with the other, pulling them to lie down beside her. "Thanks, both of you."

Lindy lay against her, also staring up at the ceiling. "Wow."

Daria nodded, silent, and Jane turned her head up, laying down against Daria's other side. "Yeah, wow."

"This music is so…" Daria trailed off, unable to find words. Lindy jumped up, leaning over and pressing play on a song. "Check this out," she said excitedly, laying down again as 'Riders on the Storm' began to play.

The three of them lay silent, absorbed in the music, then suddenly, "I need to pee," Jane stated matter-of-factly.

"Not here," Daria continued staring at the ceiling.

"No shit. I just don't want to move."

Jane lurched to her feet, heading for the bathroom. Daria turned to Lindy slowly and whispered, "I need to talk to you about something later."

Lindy nodded. "I think I know what."

Daria smiled a bit at her. "Cellar Door."

Lindy smiled back, relaxing. "Nevermore," she said, smirking.

Daria laughed and kissed her lightly, turning onto her back again. Jane came out of the bathroom. "I think I'm gonna run home," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Let you guys be alone."

Lindy sat up a bit. "Are you sure? It's totally fine…"

"Yeah, it's okay. I just need to clear my head a little." She smiled and nodded, pulling her boots on. "I'll text you and let you know I got back."

Daria nodded. "Okay. G'night, Jane."

"Night, Daria. Night, Lindy." Jane waved and closed the door behind her.

Lindy turned to Daria. "So you wanted to talk?" She stood up, grabbing a slice of pizza and offering one to Daria.

"Yeah." She nodded at the offer and sat up, scooting back. "I'm honestly not even sure where to begin."

Lindy handed her one as she sat down. "About Jane?"

Daria nodded, taking a bite. "That's heavenly." She refocused on Lindy. "I don't believe for a minute she grabbed me on purpose, but…"

"But that blush was hardcore?" Lindy chewed, nodding. "I saw that. I've kind of always thought Jane was into you."

"Really?"

Lindy shrugged. "Yeah. I didn't really know what the deal was behind it, so I figured it was none of my business."

"I'm not really sure what to do. Once upon a time, I think I'd have jumped on a situation like this, but now…"

"But now?" Lindy asked quietly, looking at Daria.

"But now I'm in a relationship with someone who I care about very deeply. Thing is…" Daria sighed, then looked up at Lindy. "I'm pretty curious about it."

Lindy nodded, finishing her own slice. "That's honest and understandable." She swallowed, continuing. "If you want to pursue that, I'd understand." She couldn't help her voice falling flat.

"I'm not sure I do," Daria said quietly. "I like our relationship, and I don't want it to end, and I don't want to lose you. I'm just really confused."

"Maybe you should talk to Jane. Neither of us know what she's thinking."

Daria nodded. "That's a good idea. I'm sorry if I've ruined the evening."

Lindy shook her head, stretching out and reaching for Daria. "You haven't. You were confiding in someone you trust about emotions that are confusing. I'm happy the person you trust is me."

Daria finished her own pizza and moved into Lindy's arms. "I trust you more than just about anyone in my life."


	36. Chapter 37

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria closed her laptop as a knock came at her door and crossed the room, opening it. "Hey."

"Hey," Jane said, moving into the room and closing the door behind her. "What's up?"

"I thought we could hang out here for awhile." She sat on the bed cross-legged and looked up at Jane. "I kind of want to talk to you."

Jane nodded, kicking off her boots and sitting opposite Daria. "Shoot."

"Well the other night when we got high…"

"I said I was sorry, it was an accident." Jane looked down at her lap.

"I'm not asking for you to apologize. I just wanted to know… why you blushed so hard. It brought up some emotions I'm not entirely certain how to deal with." Daria pulled a pillow into her lap and looked at Jane, face open and clear.

"Ever since move-in day I've sort of been thinking about you." Jane did her best not to mumble. "About what it would be like, with you. In the beginning I figured it was just for comparison's sake…"

A memory struck Daria. "So you kissed me. It was just as much for your own confusion as mine," she stated simply, no anger in it.

Jane nodded. "Pretty much, yeah. Thing is, after that I couldn't stop thinking about it. But you and Lindy are so great… I just wanted to be a good friend to you both."

Daria nodded silently, thinking the situation through. "I liked kissing you. It felt natural and familiar. I sort of wish Lindy and I hadn't worked so well, so I could have explored this with you more. Is that horrible?"

"No, it's not horrible. It's called 'What might have been'. But maybe you and Lindy won't last forever. Maybe we'll wind up on some ridiculous hippy commune and it won't matter. It's a little early to play that game."

Daria nodded, looking down at her lap. "I guess you're right." She shrugged sadly. "This isn't fair. I've had a crush on you for a long time, and I only now realize it…"

"Figured out what your physical attraction mold matched, huh?" Jane smiled, at once wry and sad.

"Yeah. I wonder if Trent knew."

"Why not? I did." She shrugged. "I never saw a point to saying anything, I was convinced I was straight."

"I guess I should thank Allison." Daria's tone was dry.

"No, we should both be thanking Nat." She smirked a little, then sobered. "Look, I don't know what to do."

Daria chewed her lip and nodded, then rose up and kissed Jane gently, her own lips kneading hers. She pulled back and sat down hard. "Me either."


	37. Chapter 38

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Trent picked up the phone on the twelfth ring. "Hello?"

"Hey, Trent. It's me, Jane."

"Hey, Janey. What's up?"

"I'm thinking about coming home for the weekend. I was wondering if you wanted to come get me."

"I could probably do that. What's the matter? I thought you loved it up there on weekends."

"I do, it's just… I'm having a little existential crisis."

"What's going on?"

"I'm in love with Daria." Jane blurted out the statement.

"I know."

"You do?"

"Of course. But isn't Daria with Lindy?"

"Yeah, that's the problem. I don't want to cause any drama between them, you know?"

"Yeah. That's a tough one."

"Yeah." Jane sounded sad.

"Have you talked to Daria?"

"Yeah. It didn't really shed any light on anything. She's pretty into me, too, but she's with Lindy, and I know there's love there."

"What about talking to Lindy? Tell her what you're feeling, and let her know that you're not trying to break them up."

"Y'know, that's not a bad idea. Thanks, Trent."

"Sure. Do you still want me to come get you?"

"No, that's okay. I know you didn't want to anyway."

"It's far."

"Yeah. Go back to sleep."

"Okay. See ya."


	38. Chapter 39

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria sat outside the Alumni Club in her car, a small bouquet of tiger lilies on the seat next to her. She took a deep breath and exhaled, watching her breath steam the window. Lindy walked out, buttoning her coat closed as she neared the parking lot. Daria honked her horn once and Lindy looked up and smiled, making her way to the car. "Hey, Babe," she said, opening the door.

"Hey. Those are for you," she nodded to the flowers as Lindy picked them up, sitting down.

"They're beautiful. What are they for?"

"An apology." Daria turned in her seat, looking at Lindy seriously. "I kissed Jane earlier. Just one, and it wasn't much more than a peck, but I still feel guilty."

Lindy smiled, reaching over to stroked Daria's cheek. "I figured it might happen. It's okay, really. You didn't sleep with her."

"No. I wouldn't have. But we were discussing things, and I really just had to know. I'd kissed her once before, and I wanted to see if it was Jane, or the situation the first time."

"And?"

Daria sighed. "It's Jane."

Lindy nodded. "I thought so."

"But it's you, too. I meant it when I said I love you, Lindy. You make me feel… speechless." She chuckled a bit. "You make the writer unable to form coherent sentences. I run out of adjectives."

Lindy smiled, her cheeks turning pink. "I'm glad I can make you feel that way."

Daria nodded. "You do. I trust you more than anyone I've ever known, except Jane. I know I can tell you anything, and I know you'll always keep my secrets. You're smart, funny, beautiful and so strong…"

"I'm not strong, Daria." Lindy shook her head.

"You are. You've faced your dad, my sister, my parents… and you're still sober. You make me so proud." Daria smiled, taking her hand.

"And if I fall off again?" Lindy asked quietly.

"Then I'd help you get back up. Because I know you _can_ get up. You can lean on me." Daria squeezed Lindy's hand and kissed the back of it softly.

Lindy sat quietly for a moment, then looked at Daria. "You have nothing to apologize for, and no reason to feel guilty," she said slowly.

"Thank you."

"No reason to thank me, either. It simply is." She smiled a bit at Daria and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "There are lots of reasons you kissed Jane, and most of them are good reasons."

Daria nodded. "I suppose."

"So stop worrying about a kiss."

"Okay." Daria started the car and turned to Lindy. "Do you want to come back with me, or go home?"

"I should go home, I have a paper due in the morning. But I'm meeting you after class tomorrow afternoon, right?"

Daria nodded. "Totally." She smiled, squeezing Lindy's hand as she drove up the road to BFAC.


	39. Chapter 40

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Jane knocked at Lindy's door and chewed her lip. As Lindy opened it, she smiled a bit. "Hey."

"Hi, Jane, what's up?" She smiled back, walking back into the room, indicating Jane should follow.

"Well, I brought your shirt back. Alcohol-reek free." She held out the garment then continued. "And I thought maybe we could talk about something."

Lindy took the shirt, smiling. "Thanks, I appreciate it. Sure, what's on your mind?"

Jane sat on the edge of Lindy's bed and took a breath. "Well, um… I sort of kissed Daria."

Lindy raised an eyebrow. "Daria told me she kissed you."

"Well she did. Kiss me. I sort of kissed her back. In the same kiss, not a second one." Jane heard herself babbling with horror, but was unable to stop herself.

Lindy sat next to her and lay a hand on her shoulder, an amused smirk across her lips. "Jane, relax. I'm not going to bite your head off."

Jane took another breath and slowed herself. "Look, I just wanted you to know that I think you and Daria are really amazing together and I don't want to cause drama, but I pretty sure I'm in love with her."

Lindy nodded. "I got that. Daria's in love with you, too. Even if she hasn't totally figured it out yet."

Jane looked up, eyes wide. "Seriously? I mean… it doesn't matter. You guys are together."

Lindy nodded. "We are." She met Jane's gaze, her own eyes searching. "I had a crush on you when we met, you know."

"You did? No, I didn't." Jane shifted on the bed.

Lindy nodded again. "I was crushing hard. I was sure Daria would notice eventually, but either she never did, or never mentioned it."

"Wow. I had no idea. I mean, I thought you were cute, but I was so into Nat that I didn't really think about anything else. It was a blow when she told me that she wasn't interested in anything more than what we had." Jane shrugged and laughed a bit.

Lindy leaned forward, capturing Jane's lips gently, a hand sliding into her hair at the back of her neck. Jane's eyes widened then slipped closed, yielding to the kiss with a soft sigh. As she pulled back, Lindy's cheeks colored a bit and she cleared her throat. "Wow."

Jane nodded. "That was… surprising." She fidgeted a bit. "And now you've both cheated with me. Lovely."

"I told Daria I didn't consider her kissing you to be cheating. We're all pretty confused right now, it wouldn't be right for me to get angry at her when she was so honest about it with me."

"What do you mean, 'we're all'?" Jane searched Lindy's face, eyes wide and curious.

"Well, you're confused, and she's confused, and I'm confused." Lindy hoped Jane wouldn't press further than that.

"What are you confused about?" So much for that kind of hope.

Lindy took a deep breath. "Well, there's confusion about what to do about the whole situation. Daria's and your mutual feelings, Daria's and my mutual feelings, and how I feel about you, and what to do with all of it."

Jane nodded slowly. "Threesome?" She laughed, joking.

Lindy shrugged. "I wouldn't be opposed, but Daria might be." She looked at Jane sideways. "Maybe we could all get high again. Daria still has plenty, maybe we could all just see where it goes."

"That has the possibility of becoming very bad." Jane looked at Lindy, eyebrows furrowed.

"Not if we pledge that what happens in that room, that night stays there." Lindy shrugged. "Regardless, we should all talk. The three of us."

Jane nodded. "That I agree with."

"Want to pick up some tacos and go bust in on her late-night studying?" Lindy smiled, shrugging.

"We could do that." Jane nodded, standing. She smiled back, feeling a bit better.

"Alright, let's do this."


	40. Chapter 41

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria got up, padding to the door in boxers and a t-shirt, opening the door to reveal Jane and Lindy carrying what looked like an enormous box of tacos. "Yes, Virginia, there really do exist wonderful friends and lovers." She grinned, opening the door wider for them to step through.

Lindy set the box on the "table" and turned to Daria, taking her hands. "Before another moment passes, I have to tell you something."

Daria nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed. "What's up?"

"I kissed Jane."

Daria burst out laughing. She looked over at Jane, then back at Lindy. "Seriously?"

Lindy nodded, as did Jane. "It's true."

Daria took a deep breath, and nodded, still smiling. "Okay."

"You're not upset?"

"No. I was briefly concerned about what you might do in retaliation. I'm aware that such actions can sometimes bring about some sort of negative reciprocity. I'm actually rather relieved."

Lindy nodded. "Okay." She smiled, pulling Daria in for a kiss. "Well in that case, want to get high?"

"I have Lit at nine." Daria chewed her lip.

"Still doing Big Brother?" She reached for a soda and sipped it through the straw.

Daria nodded. "Yes." She sighed, smirking. "Which I realize negates my protest. Alright. Jane, you know where it is."

Jane looked up from rolling a joint. "What?"

Daria shook her head and laughed. "I never dreamed I'd skip this many classes."

Jane laughed, handing the joint to Daria and beginning to roll another. "Daria, you've skipped like, four classes all semester."

"So?" She smirked wryly and lit the joint, scooting up to lie next to Jane and make room for Lindy.

"So, that's not a lot. There are people who skip constantly and still manage to graduate." She set it aside and reached for her bag. "By the way, I made something for you."

Daria inhaled and smiled. "Really?"

Jane nodded, producing a ceramic dish. "Since you're all hip and a pot smoker now, I made you an ashtray."

Daria grinned. "Thanks." She took it from Jane, passing Lindy the joint and inspected it. It was a small glazed ceramic bowl, flat on the bottom and painted in reds, blues and greens in the pattern of bricks.

"To match the tapestry Lindy made." Jane said, gesturing at it while inhaling.

"I love it. Really." She looked at Jane, her gaze meaningful.

Lindy sat up, catching Jane's eye. "Daria, Jane and I had a talk." She took the joint, inhaling a bit and passing it before continuing. "What we decided is that the three of us need to talk about what's going on. Honestly and openly."

Daria inhaled and nodded. "That's probably a good idea." She passed it to Jane and exhaled.

"You and Jane have mutual feelings, and so do you and I," Lindy began. "And I've crushed on Jane since I met her."

Daria's eyes widened. "Wow, I didn't know that."

"Imagine my surprise," Jane said wryly, inhaling. "And as it turns out, Lindy's not too bad either."

Daria chewed her lip. "Some tangled web."

Lindy nodded, tapping ashes into the ashtray Daria still held. "It is. But if it involves the three of us, which it clearly does, the three of us should be discussing it."

Daria took the joint from her and inhaled. "That makes too much sense to argue." She thought for a moment, then passed it to Jane. "Do you remember that Sick, Sad Word episode we watched about that Mormon guy?"

Jane inhaled and nodded. "The one with three wi…oh." Realization dawned and she passed the joint. "Do you think that's really possible?"

Daria shrugged. "I don't know. I just know that now it's out in the open, I don't want to have to choose."

Lindy took her hand then reached for Jane's. "I have a suggestion," she said quietly.

Jane and Daria both focused their attention on her. "Go on," Daria said.

"How about we… explore it? Slowly, carefully, but open and honestly. The three of us." She chewed her lip.

"I'm not sure I understand," Jane said, looking down at her hand in Lindy's, and reaching for Daria's slowly.

Daria smiled at Jane's hand and squeezed it. "You mean erase the boundary?"

Lindy nodded. "Forget Daria and I are in a relationship, Jane. Between the three of us, it wouldn't matter. You could date Daria, I could date Daria, and maybe…"

"I could take you out, too?" Jane smiled. "I'm always up for another reason to eat pizza."

Lindy nodded. "That's what I'm suggesting."

Daria thought for a moment. "Slowly, though. Otherwise people may get jealous."

"Nonsense, people like you don't get jealous." Jane smirked at Daria and received a pillow to the face.

Lindy laughed and nodded. "Slowly. And maybe we could do things together, all three of us, too. Like Pink Floyd."

Daria smiled. "I have that stuff printed out on my desk." She nodded in the direction. "I like the sound of this."

Jane nodded. "It seems like a good solution. I'm game."

Lindy smiled. "Good. Then I'll see you both tomorrow." She stood up slowly.

Daria looked up confused. "What? Why?" Realization dawned and she shook her head. "No, I want you both to stay. I'm skipping Lit for this."

Jane looked between them and her eyes widened. "I… uh…"

Daria shook her head again. "Stop, both of you. We're all friends, regardless of anything else. We're getting high, going to eat tacos, and watch a bad movie. If something happens, it happens, but I'm not going to be upset if it doesn't, either. Lindy, you've erased the boundary line in our relationship that keeps Jane out, and I'm for that one hundred percent. But in my mind right now, all that means is I can lie comfortably with you both and not feel a divider between my best friend and I due to my girlfriend being on my other side. It makes you both equal, and I'd like to really let that lie for a bit and get used to the feeling."

Lindy took a deep breath and nodded, sitting back down. "You're right. I'm being silly."

"No, you're just jumping in with both feet for me."

"Do I get a say in all of this?" Jane asked quietly.

Daria looked at her and nodded. "Yes. You very much get a say in this," she said, a touch of happiness coloring her tone.

"I just got handed the one thing I've wanted for four years. I'm excited, I'm happy, and I'm nervous as hell. I'm with Daria. Let's relax and watch a movie and let it all happen of its own accord. There's no time limit, and now there's no boundary to stop it."

Lindy beamed. "Okay. Two to one, majority rules." She reached for the box of tacos, settling back on the bed. "Who wants one?"

Daria laughed and scooted back on the bed, settling between them both. "I do."


	41. Chapter 42

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Jane looked over at Daria and Lindy, her mind reeling. She tried to focus on the foam rubber swamp creature on the screen, but it was impossible. She licked her lips slightly and felt eyes on her. Turning, she saw Daria looking up at her. "Why are you so nervous? You've been fidgeting for twenty minutes."

Jane said nothing, stilling her tapping foot. Daria shifted, turning toward her a bit. "You're allowed, you know."

Jane nodded a bit. "I know. I just… didn't know how."

Daria raised an eyebrow. "You know how to kiss, Jane."

"I mean approach it. I realize that it's all different now, but I'm still a bit nervous about kissing you with your girlfriend behind you. In my brain, you know?"

Daria nodded and Lindy looked over, smiling her support, squeezing Daria's thigh and going back to the movie. "I do know. But you have to get over it."

Jane nodded and leaned over, covering Daria's mouth with her own, She closed her eyes, letting herself drown in the sensation. Daria reached up, a hand sliding into Jane's hair, pulling her down further, her tongue sliding over Jane's lips, requesting entrance. Jane gasped, her lips parting for Daria and her tongue tangling with hers.

Lindy looked over slowly, watching them kiss and smiled. She lay her palm on Daria's back, rubbing it a bit, then let it fall away and lay back, out of their way. Daria pulled back after a few moments for air and smiled at Jane. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Jane swallowed, lost in Daria's gaze. "It was the best thing in the world."

Daria chuckled, Lindy chuckling behind her. "I can think of things that are better," Daria said wryly.

Jane nodded. "Whatever it is you're thinking, Morgendorffer, don't. I'm so not ready to think about that yet."

Daria nodded, serious once more, a hand reaching up to trace Jane's features gently. "Don't worry." She ran a fingertip over the artist's eyebrows, down her nose and over her lips. "You're really pretty, you know that?"

Jane blushed, chewing her lip. "Thanks. Um… you are too…" she reached up, taking Daria's glasses off and placing them on the nightstand.

"Hey, I need those," Daria protested.

"Just give me a minute," Jane responded, and looked at Daria, memorizing every detail of her face. "I take it back. You're not pretty. You're beautiful." She smiled, leaning in to kiss Daria again.

Daria sighed into the kiss, laying back and pulling Jane on top of her. She slid her hands around the artist's back, rubbing gently. Jane deepened the kiss with a barely audible whimper.

Lindy grinned and moved over a bit more, giving them room for whatever might happen next. Daria felt her shift and pulled back, reaching for her glasses. "I don't want this to be about the two of you sharing me," she said softly.

Lindy nodded. "I get that. I'm very interested in getting to know Jane a bit more intimately," she said, smiling.

Jane raised an eyebrow at Lindy's choice of phrasing but said nothing. "I'd like to get to know you more, too," she said directly to Lindy.

Daria nodded. "Okay. Momentary worry. I'm sure we'll each have a few of those, but if we talk them out we should be okay, right?"

Lindy and Jane looked at each other, then Daria and both shrugged and nodded. "I don't see why not," Jane said.

Lindy nodded. "But I don't want this to be about needing all of us to be free for plans, either. I'd like to take Daria out just like I'd like to take Jane out."

Daria nodded. "I agree." She leaned over, kissing Lindy gently, then turned and kissed Jane as well. "I have to admit that the part of me that's a greedy human being is in love with this situation. It's not everyone who gets to have their cake and eat her too."

Lindy laughed, an eyebrow raising at Daria's misquote. "Nice."

"I thought so." Daria leaned back and reached for another taco. "I'm kind of sorry that I missed you guys kissing."

Lindy smirked and looked up at Jane. "Repeat performance?"

Jane licked her lips and nodded. "Yeah."

Daria smiled and moved to the edge of the bed, putting the taco down in the box and turning to watch them. Jane scooted over, laying next to Lindy and smiled nervously. Lindy lay a hand on Jane's arm. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Jane shook her head. "No, I do. I'm not sure why I'm so… weird, tonight."

Daria curled around her back and smiled. "Because it's intimate."

Jane looked over her shoulder at her. "So? I had sex with Nat…"

Lindy smiled and shook her head. "Not sex. Intimacy. Daria and I had a whole long talk about it once."

"And so did we, Lane. This is more intimate than sex, especially with Natasha. There are feelings here." Daria slid an arm around Jane's waist, holding her close. "I think you need to deal with that before anything else happens."

Lindy nodded. "I think that's a good plan."

Jane thought it over for a moment, then sighed and nodded. "I suppose so." She sat up and faced them both, looking first at one, then the other. "Daria, I've loved you for a long time, even when I didn't realize I did. Kissing you feels kind of like a dream come true."

Daria smiled, reaching for her hand. "I'm glad I could make you feel that."

Jane nodded. "You do. And so much more. I want to paint you, and sculpt how you make me feel." She smiled, lifting Daria's hand to kiss it and turned to Lindy. "Lindy, I haven't known you long, but an instant immediate attraction has led to some pretty interesting emotions. I shoved them out of the way when you started dating Daria, because we'd been down that road before, and I didn't like the potholes. Seeing how happy you make her has made me love you in a way, though."

Lindy smiled. "I'm glad, Jane."

"And I really would like to get to know you better, maybe we could start over in that respect." Jane took a breath. "Wow, I actually feel a little better."

Daria nodded. "It works well, this honesty thing." She smiled at Jane.

Jane nodded. "I don't feel as guilty as I did a few minutes ago. That's kind of tripping me out, but I'm also glad."

Lindy laughed and reached for Jane's arm, tugging her to lie down with them, Jane landing on top of them in a sprawl. "I could get used to this," she said, also laughing.

Daria kissed her shoulder and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Good, because now that I have you, I'm not letting you go."

Lindy nodded her agreement. "I'm way too intrigued by you to give you up now, Jane." She smiled and kissed her cheek.

Jane turned her face up toward Lindy and leaned in, capturing her lips. She felt a spark of something, and turned a bit, her arm snaking around Lindy's waist. Lindy whimpered in surprise and slid her fingers into Jane's hair.

Daria watched the two of them and licked her lips. She inhaled a breath softly as Jane turned in her embrace, pressing against her as she kissed Lindy.

Lindy slid her tongue over Jane's lips, sighing as she parted them for her. Sweeping her tongue into Jane's mouth, her fingers tightened a bit in her hair and she pressed against her, pushing her harder into Daria.

Jane felt Daria at her back as Lindy pressed against her and moaned softly. She pulled back for air and fell against the pillow, feeling warmth spread through her body. "Wow."

Lindy nodded. "I'll agree with that."

Daria lay propped up on an elbow, staring at them both. "Wow's a good word," she said softly. "I couldn't possibly get tired of watching the two of you do that."

Lindy beamed, pulling Daria in for a kiss, slow and deep. "Mhmm…"

Jane watched them, enraptured as if seeing it for the first time. She smiled, relaxing back as they pulled apart. "It's not so bad from this angle, either." She grinned, reaching for the second joint.

Daria nodded at Jane's hand. "Good idea. A break from all this emotion seems like a solid plan. Right now there's real danger of me exhibiting behavior unbecoming of me."

Lindy smirked and raised an eyebrow, glancing at Jane and then back at Daria. "I don't know, I kind of like the sound of that."

Jane laughed, passing the now-lit joint. "You would. If you guys want to… I won't be upset. I'll stay or leave, it's up to you. But I know I'm not ready for that."

Daria nodded. "It's fine, no pressure. Right, hon?"

Lindy nodded, kissing her cheek. "Always."


	42. Chapter 43

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Jane woke up, hearing her phone going off. She grabbed it and threw it across the room, the ringing silenced. Daria groaned and curled around her tighter, grabbing Lindy's arm and drawing it across her waist. "Is it really noon already?"

Lindy yawned and nuzzled Daria's back. "Mhmm. Unless Jane's got another alarm."

"Why did we use yours again?" Daria yawned as well and reached over Jane, fumbling for her glasses.

"Because it was the loudest." Jane picked them up and handed them over.

"Thanks." Daria put them on and stretched, pressing against the girls on either side of her. "Stupid lunch plans."

Lindy laughed. "You're the one who decided we should go on our first official three-way date today."

"Well, I skipped Lit already, it made sense." She slid out of the bottom of the bed, padding toward the bathroom.

"We could do dinner instead, and go back to sleep," Jane suggested.

Lindy shrugged, getting up and starting the coffee pot. "We're awake, might as well."

Jane swung her legs off the edge of the bed and looked over at her. "This kind of… feels…" She stood up, walking over to her, trying to find words, "right, somehow." She slid an arm around Lindy's waist, kissing the back of her neck.

Lindy smiled, laying a hand on Jane's and leaning into her lips. "It does."

Daria walked out of the bathroom and smiled, seeing the easy affection the two girls were displaying. "You guys look cute together."

Jane blushed, moving past Daria to the bathroom. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Daria said, leaning up to kiss Lindy. "Morning, hon."

Lindy poured a cup of coffee and sweetened it, handing it to Daria. "Morning, Babe. Did you sleep alright?"

Daria accepted the cup gratefully and shrugged. "Jane kept digging into my side with her bony elbow, and you kept poking your knee into my butt." She grinned, sipping her coffee. "Best sleep I've ever had."

Jane laughed, returning. "Sounds about right." She accepted a cup from Lindy with a small kiss on the cheek and sat down next to Daria, Lindy heading into the bathroom. "And it wasn't my elbow."

Daria looked over at her, leaning in to kiss her gently. "Oh? Then pray, tell what bony extremity it was."

Jane smirked. "Same old Daria, forever."

Daria realized Jane's joke and groaned, covering her face with her hand. "Jane…"

Lindy came out, picking up her coffee. "I heard that. That was terrible."

Jane shrugged, still chuckling and leaned back, sipping her coffee. "So where should we go?"

Daria shrugged. "It depends. What are you in the mood for?"

Lindy leaned back against the wall. "We should go to IHOP for brunch."

Jane brightened. "I'm always up for pancakes."

Daria nodded. "Sounds good to me." She kissed Jane quickly as she rose, setting her mug down and gathering clothes. She walked toward the bathroom and Lindy blocked her path. "Oh no you don't."

Daria raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I don't want to give Jane a heart attack this early in the relationship."

"Why, do you have a penis?" Jane laughed and finished her coffee. "I'm pretty almost kind of sure I can handle it."

Lindy grinned down at Daria. "I just wanted a kiss as a toll, but… if Jane's sure, I love any excuse to see you naked."

Daria shrugged and pulled off her t-shirt, reaching for her bra and caught Jane's expression out of the corner of her eye, jaw hanging open and eyes wide. "You'll catch flies," Daria said quietly and reached up to close Jane's mouth.

Jane swallowed thickly and watched Daria changing, grabbing her own clothes and walking quickly into the bathroom.

"I guess she couldn't." Lindy knocked at the door. "You okay, Jane?"

"Fine. I just… I realized I'd probably be seeing more than I'm ready for."

Daria nodded for Lindy to let her be. "She's right. Teasing is a little fun, but I don't want to make her uncomfortable."

Lindy picked up her own clothing, changing quickly. "Me either." She kissed Daria and sat down on the bed, tying her shoes. Jane called out, "Is it safe?"

Daria pulled up her jeans and called back, "All dressed."

Jane came out of the bathroom, fully dressed and sat down to tie her boots. "Damn physical attraction."

Daria laughed and threw a pillow at her.


	43. Chapter 44

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Lindy poured another cup of coffee. "This was a great idea," she said, grinning.

Jane nodded. "Strawberry pancakes and the two women I have feelings for. I don't think it could get better."

Daria smiled at her. "That's a good way to put it."

"I thought so. I know what my feelings are for you, but you're not my girlfriend. I have no idea yet what my feelings are toward Lindy, but I do know they're there, and she's not either. And nothing's been decided, so I can't say I'm dating either of you yet." Jane sipped her own coffee, shrugging.

Lindy put her mug down, shaking her head. "Actually, that's not true. This is a date, we all decided. So technically, you are dating both of us."

"Well yeah, but at once. I'm not dating you individually, yet. It's more like a combined force."

Daria tilted her head in thought. I don't know. I like to think of it as the three of us all dating each other. But if your gripe is indecision, Jane, would you go out with me?"

Jane swallowed her coffee hard, eyes wide, Lindy laughed. "Uh, well… call me old fashioned, but I kind of want to take you out…"

Lindy lay a hand on Jane's arm, an eyebrow raised. "Look around you, Jane."

Jane did so and sighed, realizing her point. "This has its own rules, doesn't it?"

Daria nodded. "I've come to realize that dating girls in general has its own rules. But yes, I believe we have to make this up as we go along."

Jane looked at them both, then longer at Lindy. "Are you asking me, too?"

Lindy smiled, and took Daria's hand, shaking her head. "Not yet. It makes sense to me that you two would move a bit faster, you've known each other forever. But I'd like to spend some alone time with you before jumping into a relationship. But I would consider us dating."

"Alright, so strawberry pancakes and my girlfriend, and her girlfriend who I'm dating." Jane smirked at them both.

"She can be taught." Daria leaned back, accepting her plate from the waitress. "Thank you."

"So I'm a little slow sometimes. I catch on eventually." Jane smiled, pouring strawberry syrup on her pancakes.

Lindy watched, amused. "Sugar addict?"

Jane nodded. "It's my fuel." She took a bite, then added, "speaking of addicts and fuel, did you get your room transfer?"

Lindy nodded. "I only have to deal with Maggie until the end of the semester, then she's gone."

Daria smiled. "Good. That's not long, with Thanksgiving and Winter break."

"Right. I can handle things until then." She took a bite of bacon.

"Good. Otherwise, I was going to call Trent and ask him to help us hide a body. I was ready to go homicidal after Sunday night.

"What happened Sunday night?" Daria poured some more coffee and took a bite of her pancakes.

"She came lurching into my room and hurled all over my canvas. I got an A, but still." Jane frowned.

Lindy laughed. "Gross."

Jane nodded. "She apologized for an hour then fell asleep on my floor. I got Jason to take her back to her own bed."

"Who's Jason?" Daria picked up a piece of bacon.

"Nat's flavor of the month." She shrugged. "He looks too much like Tom for me to like him, but otherwise he's tolerable. He doesn't sell drugs, so that's a change."

Daria shrugged. "We have enough left to last a lifetime."

Jane nodded. "Kind of what I figured. Anyway, he dumped her on her bed. I went with him, so he didn't put her on yours, Lindy. No one saw her till dinnertime Monday."

Lindy nodded. "Appreciated. Whoa, she slept that long?"

Jane nodded. "That's nothing. Trent once spent a month in a sleep coma. He woke up so disoriented that he thought it was August. It was nearly October."

Daria laughed. "How do you Lanes sleep so much?"

Jane shrugged and grinned. "Good breeding."

"Hey, check it out," Lindy nodded in the direction of the door. "Andrea and Scott."

Jane looked over and waved. "And now they're coming over here."

Andrea and Scott walked over to the table, Andrea smiling at them. "Hi, guys."

The triad smiled, voice hellos around the table. "What are you guys up to?" Lindy asked, sipping her coffee.

Scott grinned. "Lunch date." Andrea blushed and smiled. "How about you guys?"

Jane raised an eyebrow at Daria, but smiled at them. "That's great," she said to Scott, following up with, "same here," to Andrea.

Andrea slid a smirk at Scott, who beamed. "Awesome! I had a feeling about you guys."

Daria looked surprised. "You did?"

Scott nodded. "Totally. You're all way comfortable with each other, it was just sort of… evident."

Lindy traded looks with Daria and Jane. "Wow. Too bad we were the last to know."

Andrea shrugged. "It's usually like that. Now that you mention it though, it sort of works. I mean, I always thought you guys were together anyway, and seeing you and Lindy together, you guys work well…"

Daria nodded slowly. "Well when you put it that way."

Scott smiled. "Enjoy your breakfast, or lunch or whatever. Daria, call me about the Calc mid-term, kay?"

Daria nodded. "Absolutely."

The couple walked away and Jane looked at Daria and Jane. "Was it okay? I mean, they're our friends…"

Daria and Lindy hurriedly nodded. "More than okay."


	44. Chapter 45

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria stepped off the elevator, kissing Lindy gently. "I'll come see you before I leave," she promised.

"Okay," Lindy agreed.

Jane looked over at Lindy. "Hey, um… Midnight frozen pizza study break in the kitchen?"

Lindy smiled. "It's a date."

Jane grinned, nodding and led Daria back to her room. "Just like a million times, but somehow different."

Daria looked over at her. "Should I begin painting?" she asked wryly. "Because that sounds suspiciously like prose."

Jane turned to her, taking her hands and walking backward to her bed. "Maybe. A change of pace might do you some good," she said quietly.

"It might." Daria sat down, her knees touching Jane's.

Jane smiled, her shoulders visibly relaxing, then leaned in and kissed Daria softly. "I like being allowed to do that."

Daria nodded. "So do I. I wondered what it would be like to kiss you a bunch of times."

Jane smirked, an eyebrow raised. "Thinking of me in the night, Morgendorffer?"

"Something like that. Except there was just thinking. Not so much doing." Daria shrugged, cheeks pink.

"Really? Not ever?" Jane tugged her down, stretching out next to her, gazing at her, head in her hand propped up by an elbow.

"Really. I tried it once, but all that happened is I embarrassed and frustrated. I gave up after ten minutes or so, and never bothered again."

Jane smiled fondly at Daria, her hand tracing patterns on her hip where her t-shirt had ridden up. "And now?"

"Now I don't need to," Daria admitted, shivering a bit under Jane's touch.

"I suppose that's true, but it's healthy to do it. That's what Mr. O'Neil told me."

Daria's eyes widened. "You asked Mr. O'Neil about masturbation?"

Jane shrugged. "He was our health teacher. Who was I supposed to ask, Ms. Li? Ms. Barch? He was good about it, actually. He answered my questions as honestly and vaguely as he could, and I left much more informed than I went in."

"Wow, our teachers really did help, didn't they?" She smiled, slipping her arm around Jane's waist, tugging her closer. "I'm really glad this worked out."

Jane nodded, shifting against Daria. "Me too." She leaned down, kissing Daria deeply, her hand sliding up her shirt in the back, palm resting against her skin.

Daria sighed into the kiss, yielding to it and tugged Jane down further, a hand sliding up her back, her other sliding down to her waist, fingertips just brushing her ass.

Jane pulled back a bit, grinning behind a bit lip. "I'm not sure what this is I'm feeling."

"But it's good?" Daria smiled up at her, hands resting on her waist.

"Very good." Jane kissed her again, her hand rubbing Daria's back under her shirt. After a few minutes, Daria pulled back and smiled. "Was it really too much for you this morning, or was it because Lindy was in the room?"

Jane chewed her lip, thinking. "A little of both. If Lindy hadn't been there, I don't think I'd have been so quick to run out, but my reasoning was honest. I really want to take this slow, and a full frontal strip show didn't seem slow." She licked her lips and leaned in, nuzzling Daria's neck a bit. "But I liked what I saw. A lot."

Daria smiled, toying with the hem of Jane's shirt. "I know how to go slow," she said softly.

Jane nodded, eyes locked with Daria's. "I know." She let her hand drift to Daria's front, fingertips brushing over her abs. Daria inhaled sharply, and slid her hands inside Jane's shirt, fluttering her own fingers up and down her spine.

Jane shivered, pulling back and sitting up, pulling her shirt over her head, small breasts bare to Daria's gaze. Daria's eyes darkened, roaming over Jane's body. She sat up as well, forcing her eyes up to meet Jane's. "Want me to take mine off, too?"

Jane bit her lip and nodded, kissing her quickly before Daria pulled her own shirt off and reached for the clasp of her bra, clicking it open and sliding it off. Jane inhaled sharply, allowing herself to drink in the sight of Daria. "God, you're beautiful."

Daria smiled, "So are you." She lifted a hand, stroking Jane's skin gently, over her abs and up her side, descending along her chest to her breast. "So very beautiful." She drew Jane's head down, kissing her sweetly and smiled against her lips before pulling back. "I always wondered what you looked like." She ran her fingertips over Jane's nipple, lip planted between her teeth as she heard Jane gasp.

"So did I," Jane said, her voice thick. "Unlike you, I did something about my thoughts. Over and over again." She pushed Daria back against the pillows, kissing her deeply, pressing herself against Daria tightly.

Daria moaned into the kiss, fingers scrabbling against Jane's back for purchase. She slipped a knee between Jane's and pressed up a bit, whimpering when she heard Jane's sharp intake of breath.

Jane pulled back a bit and swallowed, looking unsure. Daria sat up and reached out, stroking her cheek. "It's okay, nothing else needs to happen."

"I know. That's not it." Jane met her eyes, fidgeting with the effort of putting her thoughts in order.

Daria nodded. "You want it."

Jane nodded, cheeks coloring. "But at the same time, I feel like if we don't go torturously slow, I'll be cheated out of whatever it is I've been wanting all these years."

Daria smiled softly. "I understand that." She pulled Jane down to lay with her. "But I also think maybe you're waxing poetic about a fantasy. We're real people, and the perfect moment eventually dies like the flower that's in it. When the moment's passed, I'm still going to be here, loving you just as much as I do right now."

Jane nodded. "I know that, really." She smiled a bit. "You love me?"

"I always have. The emotion is the same as it always has been. The subspecies is what's changed." She took Jane's hand, laying it on her chest over her heart. "Whether I saw you as a friend or more, my emotions have never changed."

Jane leaned down, kissing her again, slowly and full of love. Daria kissed her back, holding her close, fingers trailing up and down her spine. Jane deepened the kiss and slid her hands over Daria's body, cupping her breasts with a sharp intake of air.

Daria arched into her hands, her own sliding down to grip Jane's ass, pulling her tightly against her. She sucked on Jane's tongue, a leg curling around her, her hips arching up to grind into her lover. Pulling back for air, she turned them over, kissing a path down Jane's neck.

Jane arched up as she felt Daria's mouth descend on a nipple, an audible gasp escaping her lips. She slid her fingers into Daria's hair, pulling it gently. "That feels… incredible."

Daria smiled against her skin and moved to the other side, sucking the nipple into her mouth. A hand slid up and down Jane's side before settling at the waistband of her jeans. "I'll understand if you want to stop," Daria whispered.

Jane thought about it for a moment then nodded. "You need to leave, and see Lindy… I'd want you to stay."

Daria smiled, kissing her lightly. "Is that all? I could text her. You're my girlfriend too, I'm allowed."

Jane looked up at her, eyes bright. "You would? Stay?"

Daria nodded, pulling her phone out of her pocket. "Of course." She fiddled with it for a couple of minutes, then waited for a reply. When it came, she nodded, smiling and set it on the nightstand, along with her glasses. "She said have fun."

Jane smiled, pulling Daria down. "We will." She kissed her softly, a small sense of urgency present now. Sliding her fingers over Daria's skin, she turned them over, her mouth kissing a trail over one breast, then the other, finally taking a nipple between her lips.

Daria gasped, back bending as her body arched. Slim fingers slipped around the back of Jane's neck, holding her in place as the rest of the body writhed underneath her. Jane pulled back, and Daria sat up, pushing Jane down in her place. "Jane Lane, I'm going to rock your world."

Jane gazed at Daria, eyes like midnight. She licked her lips, whispering, "I have waited so long to hear that." Daria smiled, fingers working the fly on Jane's jeans. "If you want to stop for any reason, tell me."

Jane nodded. "I won't want to. I really want this." Daria nodded, sliding Jane's jeans down her legs and biting her lip. "So damn beautiful." Jane lay nude, not having worn underwear. A small patch of dark hair lay like a shadow between pale white thighs.

Daria looked her up and down and licked her lips. Parting Jane's thighs, she lay between them and gazed at her core. Reaching up, she spread her open and slid her tongue inside her, moaning at her taste.

Jane bucked hard, nearly arching off the bed. "Oh, fuck…Daria…" She slid a hand into her hair, moaning loudly. Daria slid her hands under Jane's thighs, holding her down and pushed her tongue up through her folds, swirling around her clit. Jane cried out, trying to buck up again in vain.

Daria sucked on her clit, flicking her tongue and raking her teeth over it. Jane tensed and came apart under her, Daria sliding her tongue inside her easily and drinking her down, moving away only after she'd licked her clean.

Jane gazed down at her in awe and reached for her. "You rocked my world, Morgendorffer." She smiled lazily as Daria leaned down and kissed her, a tiny gasp escaping as she tasted herself on her tongue. "I guess you got that whole thing figured out, huh?"

Daria nodded, smiling. "I did. Last night, when you said kissing me was the best thing in the world, the reason Lindy and I laughed was because when I first did it, she asked me if it was okay, and I said it was the absolute best thing in the world."

Jane nodded. "You certainly do it with the conviction of your beliefs." She lay her head on Daria's shoulder.

Daria slipped an arm around Jane. "I need to tell you something." She kissed her forehead and held her close.

Jane looked up at her. "You do have a penis. I knew it."

Daria laughed, slapping her arm playfully. "I do not. Want to see for yourself?"

"Very much, when I've recovered. You were saying?"

"I'm a lesbian," Daria said quietly.

Jane raised an eyebrow. "I knew that."

"No, I mean, I don't really like guys at all. I'm not sure why I was with Tom."

"Because it's what you're supposed to do. We talked about this, Daria. The day you met Lindy."

"And once again I've proved that no matter how intellectual I might be, I'm still human and subject to the same societal nonsense as everyone else."

"Pretty much." She stretched out slowly and turned to face Daria. "Well, I'm not certain about taking the plunge quite yet, but I know a fair bit." She smiled, leaning down to kiss her and reaching for the button on Daria's jeans.

"However much you're comfortable with, Jane. I'm not pressuring you." Daria smiled up at her.

Jane nodded. "I know." She undid her jeans, sliding them down her legs, revealing simple grey briefs. She smiled, running a finger over them. "I wondered."

Daria shrugged, cheeks pink. "I never thought anyone would see them until recently."

"I don't wear any. Saves me worry when I forget." She chuckled, and slid her hands up and down Daria's thighs. "You really are gorgeous. Why don't people see it?"

"Because I dress like a geek and talk like a nerd. Except we're in college now, and people _do_ see it."

Jane nodded. "Y'know, even though it's not the world's most usual relationship, I'm really glad I introduced you to Lindy. I wasn't kidding when I told her that the fact that she makes you so happy makes me love her a little."

Daria smiled. "I'm glad. More than you know."

Jane leaned down, kissing her softly, then turned back to her task, slowly sliding Daria's panties down her legs. She swallowed thickly once they were gone, staring at her girlfriend's apex, neatly trimmed hair the same color as on her head nestled between her thighs.

Daria shifted, blushing harder. "Jane…"

Jane tore her gaze away. "I'm sorry. I just…" She trailed off, swallowing again, her mouth dry. "Forget what I said earlier." She leaned down, spreading Daria's thighs and slipped her tongue into her folds, moaning loudly as liquid fire engulfed her mouth. She pressed her tongue inside Daria, sliding out again to swirl over her clit and flick he tip.

Daria arched off the bed, eyes rolling back as they closed tightly. "Oh, Jane…" She spread her legs wider, a hand sliding into the artist's hair, tugging insistently. Jane sucked on her clit, replacing her mouth with her fingers, rubbing circles over it as she pushed back inside her lover.

Daria bucked her hips, grinding against Jane's face with a moan. She felt herself tense, and after a few more moments, she shattered, flooding Jane's mouth with her essence.

Jane drank her down greedily, fingernails digging into her thighs as she licked her clean. Rising up, she grinned and leaned down, kissing Daria deeply.

Daria kissed her with abandon, tasting herself on Jane's tongue with a moan. Pulling back for air, she slumped back against the pillows, a silly grin across her lips. "Still think I have a penis?"


	45. Chapter 46

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Jane and Daria woke up to Natasha shaking them both. "Guys, you gotta get up."

Daria opened her eyes and reached for her glasses. "What is it?"

"It's Lindy. She's down in the lounge, drunk."

Jane's eyes flew open as she reached for her pants. "We're coming."

Daria grabbed her own jeans, pulling them up and zipping them closed. "How drunk?"

"I couldn't tell, but she seems pretty trashed."

Jane jammed a t-shirt over her head, pulling it down hurriedly. She tossed one at Daria, who pulled it on. "Let's go." They headed down the hall barefoot, Natasha's boyfriend Jason holding the elevator door open. "She seems pretty out of it," he said quietly.

Daria nodded and jammed the button for the bottom floor, gripping Jane's hand tightly. As soon as the doors slid open she broke into a run, careening down the hall and into the student lounge.

Lindy looked up as the door slammed open and grinned. "Hey, Babe."

Daria looked around, several empty beer cans littered the ground near the couch Lindy was sprawled on. "Honey… how many?"

"How many what? I don't see any fingers," she giggled, Jane moving to her other side. "Hey, Picasso."

Daria furrowed her brow in concern. "How many beers did you have?"

"Oh that. Only a couple." She looked around. "Maybe six or so.

Daria frowned and nodded. "Why?"

Lindy frowned as well as she tried to think. "I took a chug of my water bottle. It tasted so good I drank the whole thing, but I was still thirsty, so I came downstairs."

Jane grit her teeth. "I'll kill her."

Daria took a breath and looked at Lindy. "Can you walk?"

Lindy nodded, attempting to stand and failing. Jane put her shoulder under Lindy's arm and lifted, helping her stand. "Nat, could you grab our boots from the room?"

Daria nodded at her. "My phone and keys are on Jane's bedside table, we're going to need you to drive us back, if you don't mind."

Natasha nodded, heading for the door. Jason looked at the three of them and said quietly, "I'll follow Nat to bring her home, do you want me to stop and get some water and stuff?"

Daria nodded gratefully. "That would be awesome, thanks." He nodded. "Nat'll know what we need. Just get her upstairs, we'll meet you by the car."

Daria wrapped Lindy's other arm around her and slowly she and Jane helped her to the elevator, Jane pressed the button and looked over at Daria. "I feel like this is my fault," she whispered.

Daria shook her head. "Don't. This was an accident, and it might have happened regardless."

Jane nodded, helping Lindy walk forward when the doors slid open. They rose a floor and the doors opened once more, the three of them making a slow progress to the front door. "Concrete's gonna be cold," Jane said.

"Good thing I brought these," Natasha said, coming out of the second elevator with their boots.

Jason moved behind Lindy, picking her up easily. "I've got her. Which one's yours?"

Daria took her keys from Natasha, leading the way to her SUV. Jane and Jason managed to get Lindy into the back seat, Daria getting in on her other side and taking the garbage bag proffered by Natasha. "Just in case," she said, getting in the driver's seat.

Jason jogged back to his own car, and Natasha started the engine, driving to Raft. "I sent him for water and aspirin."

Daria nodded, holding a passed out Lindy's hand. "Thanks."

"Have you ever done this before?" She glanced at them in the rearview mirror.

Daria shook her head. "No." Jane shrugged. "I've nursed Trent and the guys through a hangover, but this isn't the same."

Natasha nodded. "She needs to like, start over. Meetings and stuff."

Daria furrowed her brow. "Meetings?"

"You mean she wasn't going to any?"

Daria shrugged. "I honestly don't know."

Natasha glanced back at them again as she pulled into the parking lot of Daria's dorm. "Call me when she wakes up, I'll come take her myself. You guys can come too, then you'll know what to do next time."

"If there is a next time," Jane said quietly.

"There's always a next time," Natasha said sadly. "A day, a year, ten years… there's always a next time."


	46. Chapter 47

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria sat on the bed against the wall, Lindy passed out across her lap. Jane walked over from the kitchenette, handing Daria a cup of coffee , then one each to Natasha and Jason. "So these meetings are like, support things?"

Natasha nodded. "They're designed to be anonymous, so there's no stigma in going to one. Inside them, everyone is equal in their addiction."

"And they help?" Daria asked quietly, sipping her coffee with one hand, the other stroking fingers through Lindy's hair.

"I've been going to family support meetings for years. I think so." She took a swallow of coffee and leaned against Jason.

Jane nodded. "Then we'll do it. But I swear, I'm going up to the housing people at BFAC tomorrow…"

"I know it's not really my place, but I'm thinking going off on your housing people isn't so much supporting her. I know it was her roommate's liquor, but that's not really housing's fault." Jason blew steam from the top of his mug.

"It is in this case. She already asked for a transfer of roommates or rooms. She told them she's in recovery and her roommate was a danger to her sobriety. They told her she could transfer at the end of the semester."

Jason nodded. "Fair enough. Sorry." He smiled good-naturedly.

Daria smiled at him. "Your concern is appreciated, and I understand your point. It wouldn't be your place if you were judging her, or us, but you're not, so suggestions are welcome."

Jason shook his head. "No judgment. Alcoholism and addiction are diseases, not something to put someone down for. Any way I can help, let me know."

Natasha smiled at him, rubbing his knee affectionately. "Oh yeah, I found a keeper."

Jane smiled and grabbed the garbage can, sliding it into just the right spot as Lindy turned over and retched into it. "Thanks, Max. Being the Spiral drunk has given you a new purpose this night."

Daria rubbed Lindy's back, holding her hair out of the way. She took the bottle of water Jason passed to her and handed Lindy a tissue when she sat up. "How'd I get here?"

Daria winced. Natasha had warned her of all the possible outcomes of the situation, but she'd hoped she wouldn't have to break the news to Lindy that she was starting over. "You got drunk."

Lindy looked up at her in horror, groaning at the pain in her head. "I what?"

Jane nodded. "Plastered. Apparently you drank a bottle of water in your room that wasn't."

Lindy looked up at them, and over at Natasha and Jason. "God, I can't do anything right."

Daria shook her head. "It was an accident. A water bottle full of vodka and a few beers and now you're back on track again."

Lindy sighed, closing her eyes. "My head is killing me."

"I have a bottle of water and some aspirin here for you." Daria continued rubbing her back.

She managed to sit up and Daria placed two tablets in her palm, passing her the water. "I promise it's water."

Lindy smiled weakly and drank the water, swallowing the pills. "Thanks."

"There's a meeting in two hours at the church," Natasha said quietly. "I'll take you if you want."

Lindy looked at the clock. "It's four a.m." She sighed and nodded at Natasha. "Thanks."

Jane reached over, taking Lindy's hand. "Daria and I want to go with you."

Lindy looked up at her. "No, it's okay, really. It's my problem…"

Daria narrowed her eyes. "It's a situation that affects all three of us, and we'd like to support you. I told you that I would never judge you for your addiction, and that I would always support you in your efforts to stay sober. Natasha told us we wouldn't be out of place attending with you."

Lindy nodded slowly. "Okay. I won't argue." She licked her lips and sipped some more water. "Don't tell Quinn, okay? I know she's coming up this weekend…"

Daria shook her head. "Quinn understands this better than I do, I think. She won't judge you for falling off, hon." She reached out, plucking at the pendant around Lindy's neck. "Remember who gave you that."

Jane nodded. "I think Quinn would even go to a meeting with you, if you wanted. Daria told me Quinn said you're her best friend. That says a lot, if you knew her other friends."

Lindy crawled across Daria's lap, settling between them both, curled up. "I have two hours, right? Can I sleep?"

Daria nodded. "Go ahead and sleep." She stroked her back gently, Jane's hand laying over hers. "Sleep."


	47. Chapter 48

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Lindy slid into a seat at the diner, Daria and Jane on either side of her, Natasha and Jason next to them. "Thanks for coming with me, guys," she said softly. "I'm glad you ignored me when I said no."

Natasha nodded. "I know better. Twenty-five years, remember? I've gone to lots of meetings with my dad. Just because he's clean now, doesn't mean he always was. He said the road was rocky in the beginning."

Lindy nodded and Daria squeezed her hand. "I'm proud of you." Lindy smiled at her. "For starting again?" Daria nodded. "For starting again."

Jane yawned and ordered some coffee and toast. "Gotta get something solid in you, soak up all that poison."

Lindy nodded. "I feel so sick… not just physically, but…" she shrugged. "It wasn't my fault I drank the vodka, but it was my fault I drank the beer. However, I'm not going to place blame on myself, I'm just going to focus on today."

Daria nodded. "Good plan. And today you won't drink anything that wasn't sealed in your room."

"Or tomorrow, either," Jane said, smiling supportively.

Natasha looked at Lindy seriously. "Do you want to stay in our room? I can stay with Jason for the weekend, I know you guys said Daria's sister's coming up…"

Lindy looked at Jane who smiled and nodded. "Sure. That would give us a chance to hang out."

Jason nodded. "Sounds like a plan." He smiled genuinely. "I'm glad you're alright."

Lindy looked at Daria, then Jane and smiled at Natasha. "I have good friends."


	48. Chapter 49

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria stroked her fingers through Lindy's hair as she lay between herself and Jane. "How's your head, hon? Still achey?" She smiled as Jane flipped through the channels on television.

"No, I'm good," Lindy said, a hand on each of the other girls' legs. "Thanks for everything, guys. Really."

Jane smiled down at her. "You realize this means you're stuck with me, right?" She smirked and reached down, taking Lindy's hand and squeezing it.

Lindy nodded happily. "I'm okay with that."

Daria stretched a bit and began to move. "Quinn's train gets in soon, I'd better go get her. Do you guys want to come with me, or stay here? Either way's fine."

Lindy sat up slowly. "I'm okay with going. I should probably get some real food into me, Let me take you guys and Quinn out."

Jane smirked. "Bribery… hmm, you do know how to charm a woman." She laughed, leaning over to get her boots. "As if you had to ask. At this point, Morgendorffer, you have an entourage."

Lindy giggled. "A posse."

Daria rolled her eyes and groaned, a smile quirking the corners of her lips. "You both are horrible." She paused a moment, then slapped her forehead. "Crap! What are we going to tell Quinn?"

Jane and Lindy stopped giggling, Jane's hands stilling in the midst of tying her boot. "Oh. Good question."

Lindy licked her lips. "Yeah." She pulled on her shoes, chewing her lip. "Let me tell her."

Daria finished tying her own boots and looked at Lindy curiously. "How?"

"Honestly and slowly. Piece by piece. If she puts the puzzle together herself, she'll understand it better."

Jane stared at Lindy and blinked. "Have you thought about going into psychology? That's just creepy."

Daria nodded. "That makes sense, actually." She smirked at Jane. "Dork."


	49. Chapter 50

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

"There she is," Jane said, pointing down the platform. Daria and Lindy followed her as she walked toward Quinn.

"Hey Daria, Jane, Lindy." She smiled and waved. "How are you?"

"We're fine. Lots of stuff to tell you, though." Daria led the way back to the car.

"Oh yeah? You're not like, learning to play the guitar, are you?" Quinn got into the back seat, nose scrunched in disgust.

"What?"

"Well, I heard that _lesbians_, they do that. And then they wear _plaid_! And _sensible shoes_... God, Daria, I couldn't handle that, I just couldn't!"

Daria looked in the rearview mirror at Lindy, sitting next to Quinn. "This was your idea."

Lindy shook her head and laughed, turning to Quinn. "Quinn, those are stereotypes. They're like rumors people spread about a whole group of people at once."

"Ohhh… thank god…" She sat back in her seat and looked at Daria. "So what's your stuff?"

"Tell her about this morning, hon. That's the easier of the two."

Lindy nodded. "I, um… fell off the wagon." She looked at Quinn bravely.

"Oh." Quinn nodded solemnly. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay now. Daria and Jane took care of me, and our friend Natasha. They took me to a meeting this morning, and I'm going to another one tonight."

Quinn nodded. "Okay." She smiled at Lindy softly. "Thank you for telling me."

Lindy beamed. "Thanks for understanding." She leaned over, hugging her tightly.

Quinn hugged her back and smiled. "Of course, silly."

Jane lay a hand on Daria's knee and smiled. "So how's school and junk? Is Kevin any smarter?"

"Ew, the Quarterback? He's one of the most unpopular people in school now, because everyone knows he was held back and Ms. Li put him with the special kids."

Jane's eyes widened. "No way! Poor Kevin…"

"I wonder how being a brain rates against that…" Daria smirked and pulled into the dorm parking lot. "We should tell her the other thing before we go eat."

Lindy nodded. "Let's go put your stuff upstairs." She picked up Quinn's bag and followed Daria and Jane into the building. Daria let them all into the room and dropped down onto the bed.

Quinn raised an eyebrow at the pushed-together beds, but only said, "Am I sleeping on the floor, or can we push the beds apart again?"

"We can push them apart. I didn't think about it."

Quinn nodded, putting her bag down and sitting on the bed. "So what's the big secret?"

Lindy sat down and took a breath. "Have you ever heard of people being in a relationship with more than one person?"

"Ew, like that guy on Sick, Sad World?"

Jane laughed and Daria smirked. "Not quite."

Lindy shook her head. "I mean like, hippies or something. Where everyone loves each other equally."

Quinn nodded. "Ohhh, yeah. I know what you mean."

"Okay, well, Daria and I and Jane are…"

Quinn held up a hand and interrupted her. "Okay, Lindy. Whatever you guys are doing, I just don't want to know."

Lindy sighed. "It's not about that."

Quinn nodded slightly. "It's fine. I just don't want to know."

Daria scoffed a laugh. "Well, that's settled."

Jane nodded. "You're shaping up to be a fine young woman, Ms. Morgendorffer," she said to Quinn.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Whatever."


	50. Chapter 51

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

"So I've almost got enough for a car," Quinn said, nibbling on a breadstick.

"That's great, Quinn. I'm proud of you." Lindy smiled, sipping her soda.

"Thanks. And Stacy's going out or whatever with this girl Melanie from Union High."

Daria looked up. "Really?"

Quinn nodded. "Mhm. Tiffany got bored, but Stacy liked it, which I already knew."

"Huh." Jane grabbed a breadstick and bit into it. "I never would have guessed."

"I know, right? But whatever. As long as I don't have to know, I don't care."

Lindy and Daria exchanged a look, then passed it to Jane. "What about Sandi?" Daria asked.

"She's been acting really weird since the Summer, she never wants to hang out anymore."

"I'm sorry," Lindy said.

Quinn shrugged. "I've even gone to her house, but her mom always tells me she's not home."

"Maybe she's going through something. Does she hang out with the other girls?" Jane sipped her soda and leaned back as the waiter put her plate down. "Thank you."

"She's been hanging out with Stacy a lot. But Stacy hangs out with me, too, so I don't get it."

"Maybe she and Stacy found something new in common." Daria picked up her fork.

"Like what?" Quinn picked up her own, stabbing a piece of lasagna.

"Well, does Sandi ever hang out with Stacy and Melanie?" Lindy shook some cheese onto her pasta.

Quinn nodded. "Sometimes… hey, do you think Sandi could... you know…"

"Like girls? Maybe." Jane speared a ravioli. "Maybe she's afraid you'd judge her."

"But I hang out with Stacy… and you guys."

"What if it was you that she liked? Would you still be okay with it?" Lindy chewed thoughtfully.

Quinn's eyes went wide. "Oh my god, do you think so? I mean, it would make so much sense…"

"You didn't answer Lindy's question," Daria pointed out. "I'm curious, myself."

"I'm not like that," Quinn said slowly. "But if she could accept that, I wouldn't care."

Lindy smiled. "Then why don't you see if Stacy could explain that to her."

Quinn nodded. "That's a great idea."

Daria smiled at her sister, sipping her soda. Quinn caught her eye and smiled back. "I think Sandi's got a good friend, even if she doesn't know it. I hope it works out."

"Thanks, Daria."


	51. Chapter 52

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

"We should have a slumber party," Quinn said, walking back into Daria's room. "And watch movies and stuff."

Jane shrugged. "I'm game."

"I mean, we could leave the beds pushed together, and all crawl in together. If you guys can be not gross for a little while."

Lindy smirked and nodded. "I think we can be not gross."

Daria nodded. "Sure."

Quinn smiled, unpacking her pajamas. "Great." She bounced into the bathroom and Jane looked over at Daria. "Loan me your keys, and I'll run back to BFAC and pick up pj's for me and Lindy."

Daria nodded, pointing by the door. "Thanks. Could you get my underwear from your room, too?"

Jane smirked. "Nope, I'm holding them hostage."

"You gonna share, Lane?" Lindy grinned.

"With you, maybe."

Daria sighed, shaking her head with a grin. "I must be certifiable."

"Why?"

"I'm dating both of you. At the same time."

Lindy laughed, tossing Jane her keys. "Second drawer. Thanks, Picasso."

Jane looked over, eyebrow raised. "You called me that last night, too."

"I like to assign terms of endearment to people I'm dating." She grinned.

Jane smiled wryly and nodded. "Alright. But just remember, this is an open invitation."

Lindy laughed. "Fair."


	52. Chapter 53

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Quinn rolled the dice. "Park Place. I own it." She passed the dice to Jane, who rolled. "Indiana Avenue."

Lindy looked at the card. "Three hundred and fifty please." She held out a hand.

"Alright, alright." She counted out bills and handed them over.

Daria picked up the dice and rolled. "Free Parking." She scooped up the money in the center of the board. "I love house rules."

Lindy sighed, smiling at her. "Just you wait. I own all the greens, and the reds."

Daria nodded. "Just roll the dice, Logan."

Jane looked up. "Wait, your name's Logan? Lindy Logan?"

Lindy nodded, half a smirk on her lips. "Yup. Horrible, isn't it?"

"And the worst thing is that you're older, so it's just a terrible coincidence."

Quinn shrugged. "I liked that movie."

"You would." Jane smirked as Lindy moved her car around the board. "Oriental Avenue! That's mine. Twelve hundred and fifty dollars."

"What does that mean?" Quinn rolled the dice and wrinkled her nose. "Just visiting."

"Just that you probably would like the movie." Jane shrugged.

Quinn passed her the dice and her phone rang. "Sorry, one sec." She answered it and moved toward the bathroom. "Oh, _hi_ Sandi."

Daria watched her go. "Think Sandi is really into her?"

Lindy shrugged, then nodded. "I think it's possible."

"I hope Quinn can handle it."

Jane smiled at Daria. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

Lindy nodded. "Give her a bit of credit. She's just uncomfortable. She'll get over it."


	53. Chapter 54

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Quinn walked back into the room, quiet. She sat on the end of the bed and looked at Lindy. "You were right, that's what it was."

Lindy nodded. "What happened?"

"First she asked me if Stacy was my messenger now. I told her it was the only way to get through to her, and anyway, what Stacy said was the truth. That no matter what was going on, I could handle it."

Jane nodded. "What did she say?"

"She said she doubted that, and didn't want to burden me with knowing such a weird girl." Quinn sighed. "I told her if she ever valued our friendship that she should tell me and let me decide."

Daria nodded. "And she told you?"

"Yeah. She said she realized that maybe she was a little attracted to me, and maybe there was some feelings, too. I told her that I understood, I mean, I _am_ cute… and that it didn't make her weird. She got quiet, and I told her that I like boys, and she said she knew that. I asked her if she could be just friends with me, or was that the problem, and she said she didn't know."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Lindy lay a hand on Quinn's shoulder.

"Yeah. She said she'd try, but could I forgive her if she ever got weird. I told her I'd try. That's where we left it. We're going to hang out over vacation."

"Well, that's something, at least." Daria tried to sound supportive.

"Yeah."

Jane smiled. "You're a good friend. Just remember that she might not mean it. When I went to my artist's retreat last summer I met this girl, Allison. She liked me, and tried to push herself on me."

"Yeah, but you like girls."

"I didn't know I did then. And I got really angry with her. She could have been a friend, but I got upset and turned my back on her."

"I don't want that to happen with Sandi."

"No reason it should. I'm just saying, remember that she's your friend, and you love her no matter what. Maybe it'll help you forgive her if she gets… weird." Jane shrugged.

Quinn thought that over for a moment. "Thanks, Jane."

Jane smirked. "You know, I think that's the first time you've ever said my name."


	54. Chapter 55

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria kissed Lindy gently. "You'll be okay tonight, right?"

Lindy nodded. "I'll be fine. I'm already packed, I'm staying the night in your room, and Scott's coming over tonight to go to a meeting with me. I'll see you in two days."

Jane looked across Daria. "Hey, it's not only Daria who's worried. Or gonna miss you."

Lindy smiled. "Two days, Picasso."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "So gross."

Lindy reached in through the back window and pushed Quinn playfully. "Whatever. I'll see you in a couple of days, okay?"

Quinn nodded. "See you later, Lindy."

"Bye, Quinn." She leaned in, kissing Daria softly. Cellar door, Babe.

Daria smiled. "I love you too."

Lindy moved to the other side of the SUV and reached an arm in, taking Jane's hand and leaning in for a kiss. Jane happily obliged and smiled. "See you later, Sharon. Or is it Susan?" She smirked, ducking the swipe from Lindy. "I joke, I joke."

"Yeah, yeah. Alright. Bye, guys." She waved as Daria pulled out of the parking lot and headed upstairs to Daria's room.


	55. Chapter 56

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

"Let me talk to her," Jane said, grinning and reaching over Daria for the phone.

Daria laughed and held the phone to her ear. "Hang on, honey. Jane wants to say hi." She handed Jane the phone.

"Hey, Susan. Or is it Sharon?" Jane laughed, relaxing against Daria. "When are you coming?"

"I'll be there tomorrow, Picasso. Miss me?"

"You know I do." Daria stroked Jane's abs softly, smiling at her on the phone. "How long is it going to take?"

"About four hours, you know this." Lindy's voice was amused. "I only just got to Ohio, let me spend time with my dad."

"Okay, okay." She smiled up at Daria. "Here's Daria."

Daria took the phone. "Hey." She continued playing with Jane's tummy.

"Hey, Babe. I should be there about two o'clock tomorrow, That sound okay?"

"Sounds fine. How's your dad?"

"He's good. He wants to meet you both. He asked about Christmas."

"That could be cool. Hey Jane, want to meet Lindy's dad for Christmas?"

Jane nodded. "Sure, always up for a good road trip."

"Jane's in."

"Awesome. He's sending me with loads of leftovers, too. He always cooks too much. But I made him Scott's cookies, and he's in heaven."

"I bet. Those were some good cookies."

A voice called out from Lindy's end of the phone. "Lindy, the game's starting!"

"Is that him?" Daria smiled, he sounded like a nice guy.

"Yup, that's Dad. I promised I'd watch football with him. You guys be good, and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, hon. I love you."

"I love you too. And Jane. Bye." Lindy hung up, leaving Daria sitting with wide eyes, her mouth open slightly.

Jane looked up at her. "What's the matter?"

"She said it back. And she said it to you, too." Daria sounded far away in awe.

"Whoa. That's pretty cool." Jane smiled, leaning up to kiss her. "Don't be so shocked. Let it just be."

Daria roused herself from her fog and nodded, kissing Jane back and blinking a bit. "You're right. If she said it, she meant it." She grinned, holding Jane close.

"That's the spirit. C'mon, let's see if there's any pumpkin pie left." She rose slowly and held a hand out to Daria. Walking down the hall, Daria heard a noise coming from Quinn's room and noticed the door ajar. Peeking in, she saw Sandi and Quinn kissing, Sandi obviously more into it than Quinn. She grabbed Jane's arm and tugged her over, pointing into the room.

Backing away, Daria looked at Jane. "Should I break them up?"

"I don't know. Quinn doesn't look too happy, I think so."

Daria nodded. Walking back over to the door, Daria knocked sharply, opening the door. Quinn looked up from a magazine, face flushed. "Hi Dara, Hi Jane."

Sandi looked up, an annoyed look on her face. "Quinn, what's that girl doing here?"

Quinn looked at her sharply. "That's my sister. She lives here? And Jane's her girlfriend."

Daria and Jane exchanged a glance and Daria grinned.

"Oh, well… what are they doing in your room?" Sandi picked at her nail.

"Actually, we were about to go get some pie, and we thought we'd ask you girls if you wanted to join us." Jane shrugged, meeting Quinn's eyes.

Quinn nodded, standing up. "That sounds great, Jane."

"Gee, Quinn. If you don't mind gaining ten pounds over Thanksgiving, I suppose you could have some."

Quinn stopped dead in her tracks, and looked at Daria, then at Jane. "Gee, Sandi. If you wouldn't still be attracted to me after one piece of pie, I guess you're not really being honest with either one of us."

Sandi sputtered and stood up. "What? I don't know what you're talking about, Quinn."

Daria held up a hand. "Save it. I saw you kissing my sister, and it didn't look like she was into it, regardless of whatever she may have let you believe. I'm not sure what's going on here, but I think you need to leave."

Sandi stood silent, then slumped her shoulders and headed for the door. Quinn lay a hand on her arm. "Sandi, wait."

Sandi turned to face Quinn, not really looking at her. "What?"

"I really care about you, Sandi, you're one of my best friends. But I'm really not into it. I told you I'd give it a try, and I did, and I'm sorry, but I still like guys. I accept you and support you, but… I'm not gay."

"Are you trying to say that I wear _plaid_?" Sandi asked, incredulous.

"Again with the plaid," Jane remarked.

"No, Sandi, I'm not saying that. I'm saying you like girls. Like my sister and Jane. Lindy, too, but she's not here. I wish she was, so you could meet her, Sandi. She made me realize a bunch of stuff."

"I see. So you're spurning my affections for this… Lindy?"

"Uh, no. Lindy's our girlfriend, not Quinn's." Daria narrowed her eyes. "And you're really starting to piss me off. Quinn's being open and honest with you, and you're twisting everything she says into how you want to perceive it. If you really cared about my sister, you'd focus your love and attention into being a good friend to her."

Sandi glared daggers at Daria, then nodded, defeated. "I should go."

Quinn looked at her hand on Sandi's arm and tugged. "Sandi, I do love you… as my best friend. And I don't care how many girls you kiss, that won't change."

Sandi nodded. "I still should go."

Quinn let go, sad. "Oh. Okay."

Sandi picked up her jacket and walked out silently, Daria reached out and put a hand on Quinn's shoulder. "You okay?"

Quinn nodded. "Yeah."

"So you consented to kissing her?" Jane leaned against the doorway, closely resembling another Lane.

"Yeah. She asked me how did I know I didn't like it, if I'd never done it. So I said I'd try." Quinn sat down on the edge of her bed.

"There's nothing wrong with experimentation," Daria said sitting next to her. "People do it all the time. Boys, girls." She shrugged. "But if you experiment when you don't want to, then you're doing yourself a disservice."

"It's just… even if I _were_ attracted to girls, it wouldn't be Sandi. She's…"

"A bitch?" Jane supplied.

"Yeah." Quinn nodded. "If I were into girls I'd like to think I'd be with someone like Lindy, or you guys. Someone who cared about me for me, and didn't tell me I couldn't have pie."

Daria gazed at her sister in amazement, then impulsively leaned over and hugged her. "That's the least shallow thing I've ever heard you say."

Quinn hugged her back tightly. "I learned it from you."


	56. Chapter 57

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Jane sat down, handing Quinn the can of whipped cream. "There you go."

"Thanks." She squirted some on her apple pie and picked up her fork. "So when's Lindy coming?"

Daria chewed and swallowed before answering. "Two o'clock or so tomorrow afternoon."

Quinn's phone went off and she read the text. "Stacy said she stopped talking to Sandi. Apparently Sandi called her and told her everything." She sent off a reply and shrugged. "She'll tell people in school that I kissed her, probably."

"Does that bother you?" Jane cut a piece off her slice with her fork.

"Not as much as I'd have thought it would." Quinn looked at her pie and shrugged. "Besides, all the guys will think I'm even cuter."

Daria laughed. "Some things never change."


	57. Chapter 58

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Jake opened the door, Lindy waving a bit from the other side. "Lindy, my man, how are ya?" He smiled and hugged her as she walked into the house.

"I'm great, Jake. Did you see the game yesterday? State was down by three, but we took it back."

Jake nodded, grinning. "It was a great game." He turned, calling up the stairs. "Daria, Jane! Lindy's here!"

Daria and Jane came down the stairs and Lindy looked up at them, eyes shining and opened her arms. "Hey Babe. Hey Picasso."

Daria stepped into her arms, kissing Lindy softly, then moved aside so Jane could do the same. "Hey Sharon." Jane smirked.

"So that's it, huh? I'm going to be Parent Trap twins for the rest of my life?" Lindy smiled, kissing her again.

Jane shrugged. "Till I think of something better."

"Lindy!" Helen walked into the room, arms open. "Happy Thanksgiving."

Lindy smiled, kissing Helen's cheek and hugging her. "Happy Thanksgiving, Helen. I know you guys probably have plenty, but my dad insisted I bring over some of our dinner last night." She held out a small parcel.

"Thank you! That's wonderful. I'm sure it's delicious." She smiled, walking into the kitchen. "How was the drive?"

"It was fine, thanks." Lindy walked into the kitchen, sitting down with Jane at the table, while Daria made coffee. "How was dinner? Did I miss anything?"

"Just Quinn's identity crisis," Daria said quietly.

"But she got through it with flying colors, thanks to her loving big sister," Jane pointed out.

"It wasn't an identity crisis," Quinn said, walking into the kitchen. "I let Sandi kiss me, because she said I couldn't know unless I tried. Daria and Jane walked in and rescued me."

Helen turned from the fridge. "Oh, no, Quinn. Not you, too." Four heads turned to stare at Helen and she blanched. "I mean…"

"First of all Mom, I'm not gay. I just told you, I let Sandi kiss me to prove it. Second of all, it's not like it would be horrible if I were, as long as I was with someone cute."

Lindy grinned. "C'mere, bestie, I missed you."


	58. Chapter 59

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

"So this is Summer, and the guy over there crying is Wind." Jane droned. You know Trent, and that's my mom and dad, Amanda and Vince. Penny's around here somewhere, and those kids over there are Courtney and Adrian, Penny's kids."

"Penny seems to have gone missing," Amanda said, walking over. "It's lovely to meet you, Lindy."

"Thanks, Mrs. Lane."

"Oh no, please. Call me Amanda." She smiled, and walked away.

Jane grabbed Lindy's hand and walked upstairs, Daria following close behind. They walked into Jane's room and shut the door. "So there you have it. Lane clan."

"You have a big family," Lindy said, sitting on the bed. "It must be nice."

"Sometimes. Sometimes it gets on your frickin' nerves." She gritted her teeth, then relaxed and flopped on the bed.

"I'm excited for you guys to meet my dad." She smiled, scooting back and opening her arms for Daria to join the pile.

"I'm really excited to meet him," Daria said, settling against them both. "I happened to read an amazing criminal case in Journalism involving an attorney named Caine Logan in Ohio in nineteen seventy two. He was defending a man's right to protest, wasn't he?"

"Oh my god, they're teaching his case?" Lindy smiled. "He'll be thrilled. He always wanted to be a part of history."

Daria nodded. "I'm writing my final on it."

Lindy smiled. "Well then you'll have to ask him all about it when you come up."

Daria kissed her softly. "I already told my professor I needed an extension, since I was meeting the man himself. It was granted easily. Suffice it to say, I think I'm acing Journalism this year."

Jane stretched behind them. "I wish I knew what my final was going to be. I have ideas floating around my head, but no actual solid ones."

Lindy turned, kissing her. "Do us.'

"What, here, now?" She smirked. "I want to, but I haven't decided what medium."

Daria lay a hand on Jane's leg, rubbing it idly. "You'll figure it out."


	59. Chapter 60

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Lindy handed Trent her keys. "So you're going to follow us with Jesse, and Max and Nick are going to follow you in the Tank?"

Trent nodded. "That's the plan. The Ground liked our sound, so we're doing a whole weekend gig."

"They're even getting paid!" Jane smiled, hugging Trent.

"I told you it would happen eventually. You have to stay true to your art."

Daria nodded. "Staying true to yourself seems like good advice all around."

"Now, girls, I've packed some Thanksgiving leftovers for you, in case you get hungry on the trip." Helen walked outside, handing Jane a huge bag.

"Thanks, Helen." Jane walked over to the car, safely stowing the food in the back seat.

Lindy nodded her agreement. "Thanks, Helen. And thanks for having me." She hugged her tightly.

"Of course! Will we be seeing you girls for Christmas?"

Daria shook her head. "Not till after, We're seeing Lindy's dad first." She smiled as Jake hugged her tightly. "Have a safe trip, kiddo."

"I will, Dad, thanks."

"I'll see you guys soon," Quinn said, hugging the three of them in turn.

Lindy nodded, hugging her tightly. "You can call me anytime you want."

Quinn smiled and nodded, meeting Lindy's eyes. "And you can, too."

Lindy beamed, reaching up to touch her pendant and nodded. "Thanks."

The three got in the SUV, Trent and Jesse getting in Lindy's car. The caravan pulled away from the house and was soon on it's way. Lindy stretched out across the back seat, her hand resting on Jane's shoulder. "I'm kind of glad to be getting back to school."

"You're telling me. That much family, I can't handle." Jane smiled, turning her head to drop a kiss on Lindy's fingers.

"That much of your family in one place should be illegal," Daria said, smirking.

"In some states, it is."

Lindy laughed for a moment, then stopped. "Wait, you're kidding, right?"


	60. Chapter 61

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Jane pulled into the parking lot of Daria's dorm and yawned. "All ashore that's going ashore."

"I swear this drive gets longer every time." Daria stepped out of the back seat, stretching.

Trent pulled into the parking lot behind them, parking Lindy's car next to Daria's. "Hey."

Lindy waved. "Where's the Tank?"

"Jesse and Nick drove it up to BFAC." Trent handed her the keys. "They're unloading and coming back for me and Max."

Jane handed Trent her keycard. "You guys can crash in my room tonight. Just don't touch anything, and don't sleep with my roommate."

"Don't worry. I'd never cheat on Monique." He took the keys and nodded.

"Again." Daria mumbled, turning to unpack the car.

Jane laughed and took a share of the stuff in the car, heading upstairs to Daria's room. She pulled a note off the door and read it aloud. "Hope you guys had fun over Thanksgiving, I stayed here with Scott, call when you get back, he made four dozen cookies. Andrea."

Daria smiled. "Sounds good." She opened the door and dropped the bags she was carrying, dropping down onto the bed. "Give me a few minutes to rest, and we can call them."


	61. Chapter 62

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Lindy walked into Jane's room, flopping on her bed. "So I aced my method exam."

"Congrats." Jane smiled, putting her blowtorch down and walking over to kiss her. "I'm pretty sure I did too, but we'll see."

"Come out with me tonight?" Lindy asked, eyes bright.

Jane nodded. "Sure. Let Daria know we're going out, and I'll go shower." She moved to the dresser, rummaging for clothes. "Casual or not?"

"Casual. Maybe Too Bad It's Monday's?" She shrugged, texting Daria.

Jane nodded. "That sounds cool. I like their chicken wings." She pulled out jeans and a t-shirt and walked into the bathroom, coming out about twenty minutes later, fully dressed, her shirt stuck to her back. "I hate our bathroom."

Lindy nodded, laughing. "Daria said to have fun, and she loves you." She walked over, unsticking Jane's shirt and kissing her shoulder.

"Thanks." Jane sat down, lacing her boots. "She has two exams tomorrow, so I'm sure she wants the studying time anyway."

Lindy nodded. "That's what she said. She also said she'd see us tomorrow night for pizza."

Jane grinned. "That's my girl." She looked up at Lindy's raised eyebrow. "Our girl."

"Cmon, let's go." Lindy tugged Jane to the door, leading her downstairs and out to her car. "What other finals do you have?"

"My metal sculpture final project, which you saw upstairs, and a ceramics project I haven't started. I might just take the fail and drop it next semester."

"I could help you. I used to love to make ceramic stuff." She drove them into the city, fingers tapping on the steering wheel.

"That would be great, thanks. I'm just having problems with inspiration. It's not really my medium,"

"Why'd you take it?" Lindy pulled into the parking lot, parking.

Jane shrugged. "My mom is heavy into ceramics. I thought I'd dabble. Next year I'm taking photography, like my dad. In a family like ours, it might offer some insight."

Lindy nodded. "I could see that." She got out, reaching for Jane's hand as they walked inside. Jane smiled, squeezing her hand as they connected, and were quickly escorted to a table. "I like your family, though. Well, I like your brother. I didn't get to know your other siblings, but your mom seemed nice."

"My mom's stoned," Jane shrugged. "And my older sibs are okay, just self-involved. Trent and I are the only artists in the family, besides my folks. I mean, Penny's a smuggler, near as I can tell, that's sort of artistic."

"A smuggler? Wow." Lindy smiled at the waiter and ordered a soda, Jane doing the same. "Yeah, she runs some sort of import company, except she never seems to be any good at it. I'm not honestly sure what she really does."

"That's… interesting." She reached for Jane's hand.

"Not really," Jane said quietly, her thumb playing over the back of Lindy's hand.

"I'm glad we've gotten to know each other better the past month or so."

"Me too. You're a pretty cool chick, Susan." She grinned.

"You're not so bad yourself, Picasso. Just stay away from the scissors."

Jane laughed as the waiter returned. "Thanks. Uh, chicken wings, please. Five-alarm."

Lindy's eyes widened as she ordered her own dinner. "Wow."

"I like things hot." She met Lindy's eyes. "Spicy."

Lindy licked her lips and smirked. "I bet you do."


	62. Chapter 63

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Jane fumbled with her keycard, letting them into the room, her lips crushed against Lindy's, an arm snaked around her waist. "Mmm…"

Lindy kicked the door shut behind her, sliding her hands into Jane's hair, tongue sweeping into her mouth. Jane tugged at the hem of her shirt, pulling away to lift it off over her head, revealing her bare torso.

Lindy's eyes widened and she bit her lip. "Holy hell." She grinned, eyes flicking back up to meet her lover's. "You're hot."

Jane smirked and reached for Lindy, pulling her back onto the bed. "So are you," she said, latching on to Lindy's neck. She sucked the skin between her teeth, and when she pulled back, a purple spot was visible. "Daria's going to love that," she chuckled.

"I bet she will." Lindy grinned, lifting her own shirt off, lavender bra confining her breasts. She reached behind her, unhooking it and let it fall to the floor. Jane looked up and licked her lips, her eyes navy. Sitting up a bit, she slid her arms around Lindy and held her close, lips closing over a nipple.

"Mmm, Jane…" Lindy threw her head back, arching against her mouth. Jane pulled back with a pop and smirked as Lindy pushed her backward. "My turn." She leaned down, sucking a nipple into her mouth, tongue flicking over it.

Jane arched, moaning softly, a hand scratching down Lindy's back. Lindy reached down, fingering the waistband of Jane's jeans and looked up at her, eyes questioning. Jane nodded, smiling and drew her into a kiss. "There's no reason not to anymore. You're as amazing as Daria always said, and I'm just as in love with you as she is. I don't feel like the third wheel anymore, and it's hard to remember a time when I did. I love you both with everything I'm capable of."

Lindy smiled, her own blue eyes locked on Jane's. "Oh, Jane. I love you both too. When I came up here to BFAC, I never dreamed I'd make such amazing friends, let alone fall in love with one. Now I've fallen in love twice, and for the first time in my life, my luck is great, because not only did I find one, but I found two, and they love each other. I really feel like with the two of you by my sides, I can do anything."

Jane smiled and kissed Lindy deeply, holding her close. "You can. I believe in you, and I know Daria does too."

Lindy nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek. "You guys are the best girlfriends I could have ever wished for."

She lay down next to Jane and kissed her deeply, but slow and loving. She slid her hand down to Jane's fly again, undoing it slowly, then pulled back, kissing a trail down Jane's chest. "I love you."

Jane watched her as she descended and smiled. "I love you too." Her back arched as Lindy kissed her way to her center, sliding her jeans down as she went. She slid a hand into Lindy's hair, tugging. Lindy smiled up at her, kissing her inner thighs slowly before spreading her open and slipping her tongue inside her.

Jane arched up hard, hips bucking against Lindy, her fingers tight in her hair. "Lindy…" she moaned, Lindy's tongue sliding in and out of her, swirling against her clit. "So good…" Lindy smiled against her, a whimper escaping. She rose up, sliding two fingers inside her and curling them. "You are so beautiful," she whispered and leaned down to kiss Jane deeply.

Jane moaned into the kiss, tasting herself on Lindy's tongue and her hips arched, seeking more friction from Lindy's fingers. Lindy obliged, her thumb slipping up and over Jane's clit, pressing down in little circles.

"I'm… close…" Jane reached for her, holding her tight, nails scraping up and down her back as Lindy brought her toward the edge. Jane cried out as she shattered, body tensing and relaxing against her girlfriend's body.

Lindy smiled, sliding her fingers out and sucking them into her mouth with a blush. Jane looked up, eyes dark. "That's sexy as hell."

Lindy grinned and shrugged. "I like the way you taste."

Jane raised an eyebrow and turned them over, fingers fumbling at Lindy's jeans. "My turn," she said softly, smirking.

Lindy lifted her hips, helping her take off her jeans, revealing bikini briefs that matched her bra. Jane licked her lips and swallowed thickly. "You're so sexy," she whispered, reaching for the waistband to pull them off.

Lindy giggled a bit, helping her remove them and smiled up at her. "Like what you see?"

Jane nodded, leaning down to kiss her. "So much." She trailed more kisses down Lindy's chest, sucking a nipple into her mouth, then the other one. "So beautiful."

Lindy sighed happily, shivering and arching under Jane's mouth. She ran her fingers through Jane's hair, tugging gently. Jane slid down to Lindy's core, her tongue pushing forward and sliding through her folds.

"Ohh…" Lindy arched with a jolt, eyes slipping closed with pleasure. Jane pushed her tongue inside her, flicking against her walls, then sliding out to swirl around her clit. She moaned against Lindy, hands holding her thighs still.

"Oh, Jane…" Lindy breathed, hips trying to buck hard, Jane's arms holding her down. "So good… won't last…" Jane nodded, moving her tongue in and out of her rapidly as her thumb moved circles on her clit. Lindy came apart, breathing Jane's name over and over again as she rode her climax.

Jane drank her down, eyes closed in bliss. She rode Lindy's wave with her, licking her clean and pulling back slowly, moving up to kiss Lindy deeply.

Lindy moaned into Jane's mouth, tasting herself on her tongue. She slid her fingers into her hair, pushing the kiss still deeper, then fell back, panting for air. "So incredible."

Jane nodded, resting against her. "You're telling me."


	63. Chapter 64

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Lindy stopped the car and turned, looking at Jane next to her and Daria in the back seat. "Still can't see?"

"Not a thing," Jane said, shaking her head.

"About as much as a black cat in Stevie Wonder's basement," Daria said.

"Good." She continued driving, then turned right, stopping at the end of the street. "Take them off."

Jane pulled her blindfold off and looked around. "Where are we?"

"About ten minutes from where we started, Northeast," Daria said, pulling her own off. "Otherwise, no idea." Jane and Lindy both turned to look at Daria. "If you wore glasses, you'd understand."

Lindy blinked and smiled. "Well, look." She pointed to a tiny little house.

Jane smiled. "It's cute."

"It's ours." Lindy beamed.

Daria and Jane both looked at Lindy. "What? Seriously?" Daria leaned forward. "How?"

"The money I've saved this semester, plus a loan from my dad. I told him living with you guys and not people like Maggie would help my sobriety."

Daria nodded. "That's probably true." She lay a hand on Jane's shoulder and smiled. "What do you think, Lane?"

"It's got three bedrooms, and a little dining room we could turn into a studio." Lindy smiled at Jane.

"I think it's pretty great," Jane said, turning. "I think college just got perfect."


	64. Chapter 65

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

"So I'll bring the tapestry home tomorrow, after class." Lindy unhooked it from the corners of the wall.

Daria nodded, packing a box. "Okay. So which car are we driving to Ohio?"

"Yours makes the most sense," Jane said, stacking books. "It's bigger."

"And also eats gas. Lindy's gets better mileage." She moved the box to the door and started another. "How'd I get so much stuff?"

Lindy folded the fabric carefully and laughed. "Some of it's ours, and some of it's Jane's." She pointed at the panties Daria was picking up and putting in a bag. "Those aren't yours."

"And they're not Jane's." She smirked and shoved them in with a shrug. "Whatever. It doesn't matter."

"True facts," Jane stated. "My grants came in, I can pay for the extra gas."

Daria nodded. "Okay." She finished the box and tied up the bag. "All set."

Lindy looked around. "Wow, it looks like you just moved in."

"I know, it's amazing how comfortable the three of us got here." Daria kissed her gently and nudged the beds apart with her knee.

"Hey, that reminds me. Where are we going to sleep in the new house?"

"Well, that's kind of why I picked that one. It's got a huge master bedroom, and three other spaces for us each to work alone when we want to or need to."

Daria nodded. "So we don't crowd each other. It's worked well with us all being in different places. This'll make the transition easier."

Jane smiled. "Good thinking." She piled the books in a crate and stood up. "But I meant practically. We have no bed."

Lindy grinned. "I have a king-sized bed in storage in Lawndale."


	65. Chapter 66

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

"That's the last of them," Jane said dropping a bag of laundry in the entranceway. Boxes of their things were scattered around, J's, D's or L's on each one. Lindy nodded. "Then let's get going. Got a lot of driving to do."

"So three shifts?" Daria asked.

"Yup, about three hours or thereabouts." Lindy slid into the driver's seat. "Depending on gas, and how each driver feels. I'll call my dad when we switch."

Jane slid into the back seat and nodded. "Sounds good. Driving through the night is smart, no one's on the road and we'll be there in time for breakfast."

Lindy nodded back as Daria fastened her seat belt. "That was the plan." She pulled out of the driveway and headed toward the highway. "Ohio here we come."


	66. Chapter 67

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Jane reached over, shaking Lindy gently. "Hey Susan… I'm about to hit the exit, I need directions."

Lindy sat up, stretching. "Hmm? Oh… at the end of the exit ramp, hang a left." She turned, waking Daria. "Babe? We're almost here."

Daria opened her eyes, pulling her glasses out of her sweatshirt pocket and sliding them on. "And the sun just came up."

Lindy nodded. "We'll be there in about ten minutes." She pulled out her phone and dialed. "Dad? Yep, we just got off the highway. Sure, no problem." She hung up. "He wants me to pick up milk for coffee." She laughed.

"That doesn't mean from the cow, right?" Jane smirked and glanced over.

"No, there's a market up the street from my house." She smirked and pushed at Jane's shoulder.

"Hey! I'm driving. Push Daria. She'll act as my champion."

"Who says? I get my share of pushing." She reached down, retying her boots and straightening herself.

Lindy pointed. "Turn right at that traffic light. The market's the first parking lot."

Jane nodded and pulled into the parking lot. "Cute. Suburban strip malls."

"Much like Lawndale, or any other sprawling suburb." Daria shrugged.

"I'll just run in." Lindy got out, heading into the market. Jane circled the parking lot, stopping near the curb by the entrance. "So, you nervous?"

"A little. Lindy was so good meeting my parents, and yours… I don't know if I'm that easy with small talk."

"I know the feeling. I'm a little worried about that part too."

"He knows all about us, we have to be ourselves." Daria shifted in her seat.

"And face whatever consequences that brings," Jane agreed. Lindy got into the car, holding a carton of milk in a plastic bag. "All set. Come out the way you came in, and at the corner make a right." She pulled her seat belt on.

Jane followed her instructions, and about ten minutes later she pulled up in front of a small two-story house. "Wow, that's really nice."

Daria nodded. "It is." She zipped up her coat and followed Lindy into the house, shaking snow off her boots. Lindy bent down to unlace her own and called out, "Dad! We're home!"

Jane closed the door behind her and looked around, taking in the warm, cozy atmosphere. "Nice house," she said, unlacing her boots.

"Thanks." She looked up as a little terrier ran into the room, straight into Lindy. "Hey, Harum."

Daria smiled and knelt down, petting it. "Harum?" She smirked. "Like Procol Harum?"

Lindy nodded. "Exactly."

A man walked into the room in his late forties, wearing jeans and a Grateful Dead t-shirt. His long grey hair was pulled back in a ponytail and he had a goatee, still nearly completely black. He had an earring in his left ear and his right wrist was full of cloth bracelets. "Hey, sweetheart." He smiled, opening his arms.

Lindy stood up and grinned. "Hi, Dad." She hugged him tightly and turned. "Daria, Jane, this is my dad, Caine Logan. Daddy, this is Daria Morgendorffer and Jane Lane, the women I'm in love with."

Caine grinned and turned, his arms open once again. "It's great to meet you girls. Come on, we hug in this house."

Daria smiled, and stepped into his embrace, receiving a firm and loving hug. She pulled back, watching him hug Jane as well. "It's really great meeting you, too, Mr. Logan."

"Just call me Mick. All my friends do." He led the way into the kitchen. "Coffee?"

Jane nodded gratefully. "Yes, please. Why do they call you Mick?" She sat down between her girlfriends at the table.

"Well, back when I was in college, the song "Sympathy for the Devil had just come out. Since I was studying law, my friends used to say I had so much sympathy for the devil, I must be Mick Jagger."

Daria laughed. "My mom's a lawyer, too. Corporate. I can certainly understand the sentiment."

Caine walked over with mugs and milk and sugar, then retrieved the coffee pot. "I have breakfast stuff too, if you guys are hungry. And a dozen of those cookies."

Daria laughed. "That's it, I'm forcing Scott into business. Cookies sound amazing."

Lindy stood up as her father did. "I'll get them, Dad." She retrieved the cookie jar, bringing it over to the table. "So have you been busy?"

Caine nodded. "Been volunteering at the shelter. You know they always need help this time of year."

"That's honorable, Mick." Daria sipped her coffee. "I'm sure they're grateful for your help."

"Y'know, Daria's writing a paper about you," Lindy smirked. "They teach about the Jackson-Garcia case."

Caine turned to Daria, eyes wide. "Seriously? Oh, wow." He leaned back in his chair, sipping his own coffee. "That was my first case as an attorney. I always knew it would be important."

Daria nodded. "It was really interesting to read about. My journalism professor likes for us to write articles about bits of history as if we were really there. Talking to you would give me a real sense of that. Maybe I could interview you about it?"

Caine nodded, excited. "That sounds like a hoot." His watch beeped and he stood up. "Pardon me, girls. Time for medicine."

"You can smoke in here, Dad. We all do, it's no big deal." Lindy shrugged

Jane nodded. "It's not an issue, Mick." She picked up a cookie and bit into it.

He nodded, smiling. "Well, why don't you girls bring your coffee into the den." He stood up, heading into another room, the dog running alongside him.

The girls followed him, settling on the couch together. Caine sat down in his chair, Harum jumping up to settle in his lap. "So how were finals?"

"I got three A's and a B," Lindy said, grinning. "I really like what I'm doing."

"You're going to be a great Art teacher," Jane said, smiling. "I got a B on my method final."

"That's great, Picasso." Lindy smiled, taking her hand.

"I have As and Bs in practically everything," Daria said. "A C in Calc, though. Scott said he'd try to help me bring it up next semester."

"What do you want to do, Daria?" Caine lit his pipe and inhaled.

"I really want to write fiction," she said, leaning against Jane. "But Journalism has kind of gotten hooks in me. I think I want to freelance on the side."

Caine nodded. "That's a good plan. Let me know when you're ready, I have some friends that work for the Village Voice in New York. I'd be happy to call them up."

Daria smiled. "That'd be great, thanks."

"Anything. So you guys are in Lindy's old room. I dragged out the extra mattress, I hope it's enough."

"It'll be fine, Dad. Really. But thanks for thinking about it."

Caine nodded. "Of course. Why don't you girls get some rest, you've been driving all night."

"Sounds good." Lindy stood up, leading the girls through the house and upstairs into her room. Decorated in shades of blue and pale purple, two mattresses lay on the floor near the corner of the room. A Depeche Mode poster was on one wall, next to a large framed poster of Jim Morrison, and a huge poster of the We Are The World group was on another. "What do you guys think?"

Daria looked around. "This is the coolest room I've ever seen," she said, smiling.

Jane nodded her agreement. "This is really kickass."

Lindy smiled. "Thanks. The poster of Jim is my dad's. I used to have his poster of Janis Joplin, too, but it's down in the den, now."

"I saw it. My folks were hippies, too, but once they entered the corporate world, all that got left behind." She sat down on the mattress, looking around. "Seriously, way cool."

Jane sat next to her, stretching. "Mine still are, but they forget it's two thousand and two. At least your dad has a grasp on what's going on."

Lindy nodded. "My dad's great. He never missed a soccer game, saw me in the school play…" She trailed off and shrugged. "I know I'm pretty lucky."

Daria reached for her, pulling her down to lie between them. "I'm not complaining about things. And I like your dad, a lot. He's not oblivious like my dad, or semi-absent like Vince."

"You can take the semi out, I won't be offended," Jane said, laying an arm across Lindy's waist. "Your dad's pretty great, Sharon. And he likes us."

"He does, I can tell. He likes you both a lot." She settled between them, laying back on Daria's arm.

Daria kissed her shoulder. "C'mon, we're all tired." She shifted, pressing against Lindy and taking Jane's hand across her abs.

Lindy nodded, taking Daria's glasses off and reaching around Jane to place them on the nightstand. "Okay."


	67. Chapter 68

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

"So they settled out of court?" Daria scribbled notes in her book.

"Well, sort of. They dropped the charges, officially as part of the deal behind the scenes. That's why I re-filed. I felt it wasn't fair to penalize a small Hispanic family because the corporation felt they were a threat. I won them the right to continue living there. They'd lived in that house for three generations."

Daria nodded. "I'm glad they got to keep their house. It's not right for big business to think they can just trample on people."

Caine nodded. "That's exactly why I don't do it anymore. I have my specialty in criminal law, but working with the non-profits is so much more worthwhile."

Daria nodded, closing her book. "Thanks, Mick. I'm sure I'll get a really good grade."

"No problem, Daria. Email me a copy when you're done?" He reached for his water.

"Of course." She stood, heading into the kitchen. Lindy and Jane were making cookies, and looked up when Daria entered. "I'm going to get six As for this." She held up her notebook.

Lindy grinned. "I'm glad, Babe." She held out a sticky finger. "Cookie dough?"

Daria nodded, sucking the dough off of Lindy's finger. "Mhmm."


	68. Chapter 69

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

Daria pulled into the driveway of the house that she, Jane and Lindy now shared, opening her door carefully and sliding out. "I cannot believe we drove ten hours with a bed on the roof."

Lindy laughed as she began untying rope. "It's in pieces, Babe. You make it sound like it's in one piece."

"It might as well have been." She began untying rope as well, just as Scott and Andrea pulled in behind them. "Oh good, help."

Scott walked over, helping Jane climb up onto the roof. "It's a little cold to be doing this," he said, breath visible.

"You're telling me," Jane said from her place in the luggage rack. "Here, take them down." She lifted a piece of the frame, sliding it down to Scott.

Andrea moved to the front of the car, hands out to catch the mattress and boxspring as they slid down. "Oof."

Lindy chuckled, moving to help her. "Babe, can you get the other side?"

Daria nodded and grabbed hold of it, lifting with some difficulty. "Damn, this is heavy."

"Then maybe we should help," Natasha said, walking across the lawn. She grabbed a corner of the mattress, and Jason picked up the boxspring with Lindy. "Just tell me which room," he said, lifting it easily.

"Top of the stairs, end of the hall." Lindy held the door open for him.

Jason began climbing stairs, Andrea and Daria following him. Jane and Scott picked up the pieces of the frame and started up after them. Lindy locked the car and followed everyone inside. "We have a bed."

Daria looked over at her from where she stood in the room. "We have pieces. Jane, where's your screw gun?"

"I'll get it." She walked out, coming back a few moments later with it. "We took it apart, we can put it together," she said, grabbing the boards.

An hour or so later, they grinned at the completed bed. Natasha walked in and grinned. "Guys, Scott and Jason are back with the pizza."


	69. Chapter 70

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

"We have good friends," Daria said, lying between her girlfriends.

"We really do," Jane smiled, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "Your sister was right."

Daria nodded and grinned. "She was."

Lindy leaned down, kissing Daria gently. "I love you." She pulled back, sliding on top of her to get to Jane, kissing her as well. "And I love you."

Jane and Daria smiled, kissing each other sweetly. "I have to say, I could get used to this arrangement." Daria smirked.

Jane nodded. "Y'know… we have a whole weekend to ourselves…"

Daria grinned. "And we have a king-sized bed to break-in."

Lindy licked her lips. "If I die on Monday, know that I'll have gone in bliss…" She kissed Daria again, hands going to the hem of her shirt. Daria grinned and tugged at Jane's shirt. "It'll be easier if we each undress ourselves," Jane said, sitting up.

Lindy nodded, standing and pulling her shirt off, kicking her jeans away and unhooking her bra. Daria watched her girlfriends undress, quickly stripping her own clothes off. Jane finished first, crawling back on top of Daria, kissing her deeply. Lindy slid into the bed, kissing Jane's bare back, her hand sliding over her ass and squeezing.

Daria kissed Jane back, tongue sliding into her mouth. She reached out blindly, cupping Lindy's breast and rubbing her thumb over her nipple. Jane pressed against Lindy, pulling back to give her access to Daria. She kissed down Lindy's neck, her fingernails scraping up her back.

Lindy sucked one of Daria's nipples into her mouth, then turned and gave Jane's the same treatment, tongue laving over it roughly. Daria pushed Lindy back, kissing over her abs, tongue dipping into her navel.

Jane trailed her own tongue down Lindy's hip, dropping kisses across her thighs, then turning to suck one of Daria's nipples into her mouth, a hand cupping her ass. Daria gasped, her hand trailing up Jane's thighs, a finger slipping between her folds.

Jane cupped Lindy's sex, her own finger pressing inside her, hips bucking against Daria's hand. Lindy slid her own hand between Daria's thighs, a finger rubbing her clit, kissing Jane deeply.

Daria felt herself tense and whispered, "This is so incredibly hot, I won't last long."

Lindy nodded, pressing into her, tilting her neck for Jane. "Neither will I." She felt Jane's tongue across her jaw, and kissed Daria, her own hips bucking against Jane's hand.

Daria pushed two fingers inside Jane, turning to kiss her deeply. "You feel so good…"

Jane gasped, and her hips bucked. "Feels amazing," she said thickly. "Gonna happen fast…"

Lindy bit Jane's collarbone lightly, feeling herself moving closer to her climax. "Oh, god, Jane…"

"God, Lindy…" Lindy's words sent a jolt through Daria.

"Mmm… Daria…" Jane's hips continued moving and she felt Daria's thumb connect with her clit. "Oh… Daria…" Jane shattered, sending off a chain reaction of climaxes and frantic movement. Lindy shuddered hard as she fell apart, clutching Daria, fingers still moving.

"Fuck…" Daria came undone against Lindy's hand, her face buried in Jane's neck. "So good…" They rode each other through their climaxes, finally falling into a pile, spent. "I could most definitely get used to this."


	70. Chapter 71

TITLE: Should've Been Easier By Three

AUTHOR: Faith Alana Alastair

DISCLAIMER: : I'm not Mike Judge, who had the original idea, or Glenn Eichler, or Susie Lewis Lynn either. I don't own any of these characters, (except Scott, Natasha, Caine, Jason, Dayton and Maggie.)

FANDOM: Daria

PAIRING: Daria/Jane, Daria/Lindy, Jane/Lindy, Daria/Jane/Lindy. Also Natasha/Jason(oc's) and Andrea/Scott

RATING: NC-17/M/FRAO

SUMMARY/PROMPT: It's College, Now. Daria decides it's time to live a little, now that she's in college.

SPOILERS: Everything through "Is It College, Yet?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not sure where this came from, but after a Daria marathon, I decided to challenge myself a la NaNoWriMo, and managed it. I actually wrote the 50k+ words in this in 12 days.

FEEDBACK: God, please. I love this fic so much, tell me what you think.

DISTRIBUTION: Want...Ask...Have

WORD COUNT: 51,158

**EPILOGUE**

Daria smiled and accepted the phony diploma from the dean of students, shaking her hand and crossing the stage. She looked out at the audience, her parents, sister and Jane cheering. She also saw Trent, Vincent and Amanda Lane, and Caine Logan. As she took her seat, Lindy blew her a kiss from two rows in front.

Andrea sat next to her, cradling her own rolled blank paper. "Wow. The end of college."

Daria looked over at her and smiled. "You guys will visit, right?"

Andrea nodded, gazing at Scott walking across the stage. "Of course. I hope I'll like California."

"I'm sure you will." Daria said patiently through the end of the ceremony, then met Lindy and her family once the crush parted. "Hey, Kiddo!" Jake grinned, holding his arms open. "I'm proud of you." He turned to Lindy and opened an arm. "And you too, Lindy."

Daria hugged him and stepped back, watching Lindy hug her father, then Jake. Trent stepped up and held out a small box to each of them. "Happy Graduation," he said quietly.

Daria opened hers, revealing a silver guitar pick, Mystic Spiral's logo and name inscribed on it. "Thanks, Trent."

"It's for the three original Spiral groupies," he explained. "Janey's got one too. The assistant manager at The Ground helped us score a contract."

Lindy grinned. "Trent, that's great!" She hugged him tight and kissed his cheek. "I knew you guys would make it."

Quinn walked over, hugging Daria, then Lindy. "I'm so proud of you guys," Quinn said. "It won't be the same up here without you guys."

"I'm proud of you, Quinn." Daria smiled, hugging her again. "Getting into Raft after everything was impressive, and you've done really well here."

Lindy nodded. "You're really going to become a doctor."

Quinn blushed and smiled. "I wouldn't have done it without you guys," she said, turning to include Jane. "All of you guys."

"Well, you've turned into a pretty cool chick," Jane said, grinning.

Caine walked over and hugged the girls, giving one to Jane, too. "That's for your graduation tomorrow," he said with a wink. "C'mon, Jake and Helen want us all to go out and celebrate."

Daria smiled. "That sounds great, Mick. I really need to get out of these clothes, first. We'll meet you at the restaurant?"

Caine nodded. "Sounds fine." He hugged Lindy once more, and made his way back to the parents.

Daria looked at her girlfriends and chewed her lip, smiling. "So I have kind of a question for you both."

Lindy and Jane looked at each other as they got into the car. "Sure, Babe. Anything."

"Will you both marry me?"


End file.
